Md. Mostafizur Rahman Ripon, Jhalokati Representative
Students and locals have formed a human chain and staged a protest march demanding the opening of the blocked road behind the Nalchiti Municipality in Jhalakathi and the shifting of the cremation ground for Hindus from the city to a secluded location.
About five hundred people, including students of Nalchiti Islamia Fazil Madrasa, students of Puranbazar Government Primary School, and local people, participated in the hour-long human chain on Monday (February 17) morning.
Local resident Nasim Hossain, Advocate Reza, madrasa student and Islamic Students' Movement Municipality General Secretary Hafez Mahfuzur Rahman, Naim Talukder, student Saiful Islam, and local social worker Bali Turyo spoke at the event.
The speakers demanded that the crematorium gate be built on their border while maintaining religious harmony and assured all-round cooperation in the construction of the new gate. And since the city is now densely populated, they called for the cremation ground to be moved to a secluded place on the river bank where it was previously determined. They also demanded that the road be opened, saying that this would further enhance the beauty of the current crematorium.
The road is built on land recorded in the name of the Nalchiti Municipality and there are Muslim cemeteries and residential houses on the same route. If the road is not opened, they are at risk of fire. Locals said that if the road is opened, it will also facilitate the movement of madrasa and school students.
After the human chain, a protest march was held at the Upazila Parishad square and a memorandum was handed over to the Upazila Executive Officer. The procession ended at the Nalchiti Islamia Fazil Madrasa.
