Call for Indefinite road, rail blockade over Burimari Express demand
Sabbir Hossain, Hatibandha, (Lalmonirhat)
Protesters in Lalmonirhat are demanding that the Burimari Express train run directly from Burimari instead of starting from Lalmonirhat. They have announced an indefinite blockade of roads and railways starting Sunday morning.
The protest began after people from several sub-districts like Patgram, Kaliganj, and Hatibandha complained they were missing out on benefits because the train starts from Lalmonirhat, not Burimari as promised. The train was launched last year on 12 March but hasn’t started from Burimari yet.
Local leaders say railway authorities promised to start the train from Burimari by 14 April, but nothing has happened. As a result, local people feel left out despite fighting for this train service for 14 years.
Due to the ongoing protests, four pairs of trains on the Lalmonirhat-Burimari route have stopped running since 21 April. This has caused problems for travelers like Ali Akbar, who says transport costs have increased.
Protesters warn that if their demand is not met by Monday, they will also block roads. They seek support from all political groups. There are concerns that the ongoing unrest could hurt the local economy and people's daily lives.
