Fire set at July Monument in Barguna, video uploaded on Facebook

A fire broke out at the July Monument in Barguna early Wednesday night. The incident occurred around 1 a.m. near the east side of the Circuit House field. Miscreants also attempted to block roads by setting fires at several locations across the district. As a result, long-distance vehicle movement was halted, causing suffering for passengers and transport workers.

Meanwhile, Rezaul Kabir, the president of the banned organization Chhatra League’s Barguna unit, posted several videos on his Facebook account late Wednesday night showing fires being set at the July Monument and on different roads. In one video, a young man is seen lighting a stick and throwing it at the monument, which soon catches fire.

Around 9:30 a.m. Thursday, marks of the fire were still visible at the July Monument. As the structure is made of steel, there was little damage, though the lower eastern part turned black due to the heat.

Local residents reported that a tree trunk was set on fire on the Barguna-Nishanbaria road in Heulibunia area under Barguna Sadar upazila. Attempts to contact Officer-in-Charge (OC) Yakub Hossain of Barguna Sadar Police Station were unsuccessful. However, Sub-Inspector (SI) Md. Sohel told the media that two fire incidents occurred in the Sadar police area on Wednesday night.

Chhatra League Leaders’ Videos Show Arson and Road Blockades
In Betagi upazila, at least three locations including the Barguna-Bakerganj regional highway were blocked by felled trees and burning objects. Locals alleged that the incidents were linked to the banned Awami League’s announced “lockdown” program, carried out by local Chhatra League activists. Witnesses claimed the activists left the scene shortly after setting the fires.

Sifat Sikdar, former joint general secretary of Betagi Upazila Chhatra League, shared several videos of the blockades on his Facebook account. The clips showed petrol being poured onto wood and ignited on the highway, though no individuals were visible in the footage.

Betagi Police Station OC Monirul Islam said, “No fire incident occurred in Betagi. We were on patrol throughout the night.”

Meanwhile, a video showing posters being put up in support of the lockdown in various parts of Amtali town was shared by the president of the Barguna District Chhatra League.

Amtali Police Station OC Dewan Jaglul Hasan said, “No arson took place in Amtali. However, we have heard about posters being put up supporting the banned Awami League’s lockdown.”

Bus Services Halted
Since Thursday morning, all local and long-distance buses from Barguna Bus Terminal have been suspended, causing suffering for passengers. However, bus owners said the services were stopped due to a lack of passengers.

A passenger named Masum said, “I came to the terminal early in the morning to travel to Dhaka but found all buses halted. If we had known earlier, we could have saved both time and money.”

Faruk Shikdar, president of the Barguna Bus-Minibus Owners’ Association, told the media, “The bus services are not stopped because of the lockdown; they are halted due to a shortage of passengers.”

Khaborwala/TSN