DHANGADHI: Lately, the bandh culture is gaining popularity among the groups and parties who do not care about public nuisances to get their demands, sometimes petty ones, fulfilled.

To impose and withdraw this form of strike has also become far easier. Today, the UCPN-Maoist imposed a bandh here, raising a serious issue, but to withdraw it in just about five hours.

Accusing the Nepali Army (NA) of breaching the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), the Unified CPN-Maoist announced an indefinite bandh in Kailali district. The Maoists have accused NA personnel of wielding weapons and marching outside barracks.

However, five hours later, the Maoists announced withdrawal of their bandh saying that “they came to know the reality”. In an all-party meeting held at the District Administration Office, Kailali, NA informed that its personnel of Srinath Battalion were heading for Dadeldhura after being transferred.

Enforcing their strike, Maoist activists burnt tyres in Attariya, Masuriya and Lamki on the East-West Highway. They closed marketplaces and halted transport services in Dhangadhi as well. Due to the sudden closure, many passengers were stranded at various points along the highway. The Maoists had seen the NA personnel heading towards Dadeldhura all the way from Kailali’s Pandaun, Khairala and Mohanyal.

“I also came to know that the battalion had been transferred,” CDO Gyahanath Bhandari said, adding that the NA should have given prior notice about it.

Meanwhile, NA’s Teghari Barracks clarified that the Dang based Srinath Battalion was moving for Dadeldhura while Dadeldhura’s Shamsher Battalion would move for Bharatpur. “Before this, a team of NA had reached Dadeldhura and this is the second one,” an NA officer of Teghari barrack said, adding that the team comprised 150 personnel. When the team made a stop at Khairala VDC on Friday, the seventh division of the Maoists was alarmed by their movement.

According to sources, Maoist fighters were in confusion after they knew that the heavily armed NA team had settled near their camps. A source claimed that the seventh division was also on alert due to the incident.

Later, transport entrepreneurs, tired of frequent bandhs, organised a bandh to protest today’s bandh. They burnt tyres near Dhangadhi Bus Park. They have demanded an end to bandhs.