Fresh unrest in Murshidabad as highway, rail tracks blocked again over migrant worker assault

Fresh unrest gripped West Bengal's Murshidabad district on Saturday as protesters again blocked National Highway-12 and railway tracks at Beldanga, a day after violent agitations over the death of a migrant worker had snapped road and rail links between the state’s northern and southern parts for hours, police said.

Hundreds of locals gathered on the highway at Barua More in Beldanga, bringing traffic on NH-12 to a standstill and triggering long queues of stranded vehicles, while protesters also damaged a railway gate and attempted to disrupt train services, they said.

Police baton-charged the agitators at a few places to disperse the crowd, locals alleged.

The latest flashpoint was an allegation that another migrant worker - Anisur Sheikh- from the area was brutally assaulted in Bihar, reigniting public anger that had barely subsided after Friday's violence.

Police deployed a large contingent at the protest site, while local MLA Humayun Kabir reached the spot and held talks with demonstrators and officials to defuse the situation.

Officials said efforts were underway to restore normalcy and prevent the agitation from spiralling into fresh violence.

Tension has been simmering in Beldanga since Friday following the death of 36-year-old Alauddin Sheikh, a resident of the Sujapur Kumarpur gram panchayat area, whose body was recovered from his rented accommodation in Jharkhand, where he worked as a scrap dealer.

Family members alleged that he was beaten to death and later hung to make it appear like a suicide, triggering widespread outrage after his body was brought home.

Saturday’s agitation comes on a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend government programmes and address a public rally in neighbouring Malda district.

On Friday, protesters blocked the Sealdah-Lalgola railway line at Maheshpur and set tyres ablaze on NH-12, snapping road and rail connectivity for nearly five-and-a-half hours. Several trains were halted, and hundreds of buses and trucks were stranded.

Clashes broke out as sections of the mob vandalised a traffic kiosk and damaged a police vehicle. Brickbatting left at least 12 people injured, including journalists.

A woman scribe was allegedly assaulted, while another sustained serious injuries and was admitted to Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital.

Despite assurances from the administration and appeals for calm from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, tension resurfaced on Saturday following allegations that a migrant worker from Maheshpur in Beldanga was beaten up in Bihar's Ghazipur district.

According to locals, the injured worker, identified as Anisur Sheikh, managed to return to Murshidabad late on Friday night in a critical condition and was admitted to Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital.

Protesters demanded immediate arrest and concrete assurance for the safety of migrant workers from the district.

"Adequate forces have been deployed, and constant dialogue is being maintained with local representatives," a senior police officer said.

On Saturday, protesters again attempted to block rail movement at Beldanga station, damaging a railway gate.

The renewed agitation came even as the district administration had announced measures to address migrant workers' concerns. Murshidabad District Magistrate Nitin Singhania on Friday said a dedicated control room would be set up to monitor the situation of migrant workers from the district.

The issue has also taken on political overtones, with the ruling Trinamool Congress alleging that Bengali-speaking migrant workers are being systematically targeted in BJP-ruled states, while the opposition accused the Mamata Banerjee government of failing to maintain law and order and protect journalists at home.

Chief Minister Banerjee had appealed for restraint, saying the government stood by the deceased's family and that justice would be delivered.

Opposition leaders, including BJP's Suvendu Adhikari and former Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, had also weighed in on Friday, criticising the state police and highlighting the alleged targeting of Bengali-speaking migrant workers outside the state.

Police said security had been further tightened in and around Beldanga to prevent any fresh flare-up, even as tension continued to simmer in the area.

As parties trade charges, the safety of migrant labourers has emerged as a flashpoint in Bengal's political discourse, feeding into a broader narrative battle ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.