BCL blocks highway to protest smearing of Mujib mural in Gopalganj

Leaders and activists of the banned organisation Chhatra League staged a protest march and blocked the Dhaka–Khulna highway in Kashiani upazila of Gopalganj on Monday (15 June), protesting the smearing of ink on a mural of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The blockade took place around 11:45 am on the Dhaka-Khulna highway near the Ratail Horticulture Centre area. A video of the incident has since spread on Facebook.

The video shows around 40–50 Chhatra League leaders and activists taking part in a procession. They are seen setting fire on the road and chanting various slogans, while also protesting the defacement of Sheikh Mujib’s mural with ink.

The half-hour blockade disrupted traffic on both sides of the highway, leaving several vehicles stranded. However, it could not be immediately confirmed who led the procession.

Sumon Sardar, vice-president of the Kashiani Upazila Chhatra League, shared a video of the protest march on his personal Facebook account on Monday afternoon.

According to local sources, unidentified individuals smeared ink on the mural of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the Kashiani Upazila Parishad premises on the night of 9 June.

The following night, several Chhatra League activists were seen cleaning the ink off the mural. The video of that incident also circulated on Facebook, triggering widespread discussion and reaction.

Regarding the matter, Muhammad Mahfuzur Rahman, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Kashiani Police Station, said, “We have heard that Chhatra League leaders and activists were holding a procession. When we went to the spot, we did not find anyone there. We are looking into the matter.”