Highways blocked in Dinajpur, Gaibanda
The demonstrators also held rallies and brought out processions urging the government to ease the power crisis and threatened of tougher agitation for non-compliance.
In Dinajpur, people from different villages in Birganj upazila blocked the Dinajpur-Panchgarh-Thakurgaon highway at the upazila headquarters for about five hours from 11 am, our correspondent reported.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. They held a rally and paraded the highway. The barricade created long snarl-ups on both sides causing sufferings to passengers.
On information, UNO Md Abdul Mannan and police officials rushed to the spot and tried to convince them to withdraw the barricade. But the demonstrators were unmoved.
At around 3 pm, State Minister for Civil Aviation and Trurism Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir came and assured them of immediate steps to ease the power crisis. They withdrew the barricade on his assurance.
In Dinajpur, hardly a day passes without demonstration by people for smooth power supply.
In Gaibandha, several thousand people including students from Dariyapur area in the Sader upazila barricaded the Gaibandha-Rangpur highway for about two hours from noon for smooth power supply.
The demonstration was organised by the newly floated Palli Bidyut Grahak Sangram Parishad.
The demonstrators also paraded the highway and held a rally at Dariyapur Bazar. The rally was presided over by its convener Hasan Mahamud Siddique.
Gaibandha requires 25 MW power daily but gets only five to seven MW, sources in Palli Bidyut Samity said.
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