Hungry people block road demanding relief

People blocked the Dhaka-Barishal Highway in Muksudpur upazila of Gopalganj on Tuesday demanding relief materials amid the ongoing general holidays to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the country, reorts UNB.

Residents of Dignagar, Morolpara, Karikorpara and Hindupara blocked the road at Rathkhola from 9am to 12pm halting movement of vehicles, witnesses said.

Protesters said around 800 families in the upazila have been unable to earn a living since 26 March because of the holidays.

They said hunger forced them to come out on the road. "We don't have anything to eat and we didn't receive any food aid from anywhere," one of them said.

UP chairman Mohammad Ali said the protesters withdrew the blockade after he along with ABM Masudur Rahman, Awami League president of Dignagar union unit and former chairman Jahidul Islam went to the spot and assured them of providing relief shortly.

A huge number of people under the poverty line have been hit the hardest during the government announced general holidays.

Meanwhile, seven more people died from coronavirus in Bangladesh in the last 24 hours till Tuesday, taking the death toll in the country to 46.

Besides, 209 more people tested positive for coronavirus during the period, raising the number of confirmed cases to 1,012.