Disruption at Shaheed Minar Leads to Highway Blockade in Brahmanbaria

Rumeen Farhana, independent MP for Brahmanbaria-2 (Sarail–Ashuganj and part of Bijoynagar), faced disruption while laying a wreath at the local Shaheed Minar on 21 February night. The incident occurred around 12:01 am during the first hour of Martyrs' Day and International Mother Language Day. Several hundred supporters accompanied her and chanted in her favor upon arrival.

As Rumeen Farhana placed her wreath, BNP leaders and activists, including former Sarail upazila BNP general secretary Anwar Hossain Master, approached to lay flowers. Tension escalated quickly between the two groups, leading to chaos around the monument. Some individuals climbed onto the Shaheed Minar wearing shoes, and wreaths were reportedly torn apart amid the commotion.

In protest, hundreds of Rumeen Farhana's supporters blocked the Dhaka–Sylhet highway in Shahbazpur area from 12:30 am to 1:30 am. Armed with sticks, they set fire to tyres and halted all traffic, chanting slogans against Anwar Hossain Master. Sarail and Khatihata highway police stations intervened, and protesters dispersed after assurances of legal action.

Traffic resumed normal movement by 1:30 am, though the one-hour blockade caused long tailbacks on both sides. Rumeen Farhana won the seat as an independent with 118,547 votes under the duck symbol, defeating Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam candidate Maulana Junaid Al Habib (80,434 votes under date palm tree). She previously served as BNP international affairs secretary but lost her party position after contesting independently against party decisions.