Administration has imposed Section 144 amid fears of clashes between two rival groups of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) over separate Iftar mahfils planned at the same venue in Jhenaidah’s Kaliganj upazila.
The order was enforced on Sunday morning in a field behind Lata Stand on Naldanga Road in the municipal area.
According to locals, an independent candidate in the parliamentary election who was earlier expelled from BNP, Saiful Islam Firoz, had arranged a prayer and Iftar gathering at the field.
After submitting an application to the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), he initially received verbal permission from the administration to hold the program.
However, Rashed Khan, a BNP candidate representing the party’s ‘Dhaner Shish’ symbol, also applied for permission to organise a separate Iftar gathering at the same venue and at the same time.
As both groups remained firm on holding their programs at the same location, tensions escalated in the area, raising concerns of possible confrontation.
In response, upazila administration imposed Section 144 from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM on Sunday, banning all forms of meetings, rallies, and public gatherings in the designated area to prevent any untoward incidents.
Kaliganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Rejowana Nahid said the measure was taken to ensure public safety and maintain law and order.
“Additional police have been deployed in the area to avoid any unpleasant situation,” added the UNO.
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