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Published : 02 Jul 2025, 12:50 AM
Protesters demanding the dismissal of Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP) Commissioner Zulfikar Ali Haidar have blocked the Khan Jahan Ali (Rupsha) Bridge toll plaza.
The blockade began on Tuesday afternoon around 3pm, and continued until 5:30pm, halting all traffic across the bridge and causing distress to commuters. No law-enforcing officers were seen in the area during the protest.
Sajidul Islam Bappy, convenor of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement’s Khulna unit, warned: “If the issue of removing the KMP commissioner is not resolved within 24 hours, all educational institutions across the city will be blocked on Thursday from 11am to 1pm.”
“If there’s still no resolution by Friday or Saturday, a combined blockade of roads, railways, and waterways will begin from Sunday,” he added.
The protesters ended their programme around 5:30pm, citing adverse weather and the distress caused to the public.
Demonstrations against the KMP chief began on Jun 25. After a two-day protest, the protesters gave a 24-hour ultimatum on Thursday night, demanding his removal.
When the deadline expired, they resumed their sit-in outside the KMP headquarters on Saturday. That demonstration included members of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, as well as activists from the BNP’s student and youth wings.
Hearing that the chief advisor’s press secretary Shafiqul Alam was arriving at Khulna Press Club that evening, protesters gathered at the main gate. They later attended a discussion with him.
At the meeting with Shafiqul, protesters warned that if the commissioner wasn’t removed within 24 hours, they would stage blockades outside all eight police stations in Khulna, the offices of two deputy commissioners, and the KMP headquarters – bringing the city to a standstill.
On Monday, they resumed protests outside the KMP headquarters, where they declared plans to block the Rupsha Bridge toll plaza on Tuesday.
The protesters claim that on Jun 24, residents and BNP members detained Sub-Inspector Sukanta Das at the Eastern Gate area of Khulna, beat him, and handed him over to police. He was allegedly released later that night, prompting mass outrage.
They accused Commissioner Zulfikar and other senior officers of intervening to secure SI Sukanta’s release.
Later, Sukanta was arrested in Chuadanga and sent to jail by a court order.
Police say Sukanta was named in a case filed on Dec 12 at Khulna Sadar Police Station over an attack on students and civilians in July 2024. He also faces two other cases, including one for vandalising the home of Khulna city BNP president Shafiqul Alam Mona.
