Residents of Chanpur village in Latifpur Union, Mirzapur upazila of Tangail, staged a unique protest on Sunday afternoon by planting rice seedlings on a muddy road in front of the Khandakar Para Mosque. They said the 1.5-kilometer stretch from Chanpur Bridge to Bhuluya Bridge has remained unpaved for 55 years since independence, despite repeated appeals to authorities.

Locals explained that the road, built on a Water Development Board embankment, has deteriorated due to heavy truck traffic carrying soil and bricks. The uneven surface becomes muddy and impassable during rain, making it difficult to transport patients or even carry the dead to burial grounds. Residents, including Fazle Rabbi and several youths, joined the symbolic protest demanding immediate paving of the road.

Latifpur Union Parishad Chairman Ali Hossain Rony said five brick kilns nearby cause constant heavy vehicle movement, worsening the road’s condition. He added that a project proposal has been sent to the LGED headquarters for approval, after which the road will be paved.