Staff Reporter:

A human chain was formed in front of ‘Press Club’ in Sirajganj town on Thursday noon demanding new upazila named ‘Jamuna Upazila’ for the shoal (Char) people.

After the human chain, a team of the demonstrators submitted a memorandum to the newly appointed Deputy Commissioner (DC) Md. Aminul Islam.

Several hundreds of people from all walks of life including students, teachers, businessmen, socio-cultural activists and political personalities participated in the human chain to press home their demands.

Speakers at the human chain said, “If the new upazila with the new name ‘Jamuna Upazila’ is formed, over 2 lakh neglected people of different Chars on the eastern side of the Jamuna river under six unions of Kazipur upazila in Sirajganj district will get relief from various sorts of sufferings. The neglected unions included Natuarpara, Tekani, Khasrazbari, Nishchintapur, Chargirish and Monsurnagore.”

The demonstrators further said, “Those people are being deprived of citizen benefits like healthcare, higher education, good communication and infrastructural development for long due to living in remote shoal areas. This is why, formation of the new upazilas has now turned into a demand for time to ensure the fair rights of people in the Jamuna Chars. Implementation of the demand is now only way to alleviate their (Char people) sufferings.”

Expressing solidarity, local BNP leaders including District BNP General Secretary Saidur Rahman Bachchu, nomination seeker for Sirajganj-1 constituency (Kazipur) popular female singer Rumana Morshed Kanakchapa, Kazipur upazila BNP leader nomination seeker Selim Reza and Nazmul Hasan Talukder Rana among others spoke on the occasion.

They urged the authorities concerned to take immediate administrative steps to meet the demand for the sake of people, who are lagging behind from the mainstream of development.