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Terai bandh enters day five; protesters padlock govt offices

Various districts in eastern Nepal, particularly those in the Terai, remained virtually under siege for the fifth consecutive day due to the indefinite bandh (general strike) called by the United Democratic Madheshi Front (UDMF).

UDMF activists padlocked government offices in various Terai districts today. Similarly, the bandh organisers announced that they would impose a blockade in the bordering areas to prevent fuel and other essential commodities from entering Nepal from India

There is already a stark shortage of fuel in the capital and outside with transportation along the East-West Highway coming to a complete halt because of the general strike.

Reports from Birgunj say the protesters padlocked Transport Management Office, District Administration Office, Nepal Oil Corporation, National Trading and agriculture, land revenue and drinking water offices today.

The protesters also clashed with the police after the latter tried to prevent them from locking down the government offices. One woman activist of UDMF was injured as police resorted to baton-charging in front of National Trading Office. Few protesters were also arrested in the course.

The cadres of UDMF had padlocked all government offices save for DAO and District Police Office in Kalaiya of Bara yesterday. The government offices that were padlocked include land revenue, agriculture development offices, District Development Committee and municipalities.

Likewise, the protesters also padlocked government offices in Sarlahi, Rautahat, Janakpur, Sunsari and Mahottari districts today.

Normal life in these districts has been completely paralysed with local markets, industries, businesses and educational institutions remaining completely shut and vehicles staying off the road for the most part of the past five days. Dhankuta, Illam, Taplejung and Tehrathum and some other hill districts in the region have also been badly affected by the strike.

Even as Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala reiterated his resolve to end Terai problem through talks at a meeting of Nepali Congress parliamentary committee at Baluwatar Sunday, his hometown Biratnagar from where he arrived today remained badly affected due to the general strike. The place saw locals clashing with bandh organisers yesterday for pelting stones at shops and hotels and vandalising an ambulance carrying patient. The locals even opened the closed shops in local marketplaces in defiance of the bandh.

Perhaps taking a cue from this, local residents fed up with the continuous bandh, re-opened the market places in Itahari and Dharan of Sunsari and Sanichare of Jhapa district. Similarly, transport workers of the area also plied vehicles along Dharan-Itahari road section in defiance of the shutdown. nepalnews.com ag Feb 17 08