West bengal protest: Locals block Beldanga NH-12 over migrant worker’s death in Jharkhand; traffic disrupted
Times of India | 16 January 2026
KOLKATA: Locals in Murshidabad, West Bengal, blocked National Highway 12 and set tyres on fire on Friday to protest alleged attacks on migrant workers from the district in other states, police said, causing major disruption to traffic.
The highway was blocked at Maheshpur in the Beldanga 1 area from 9 am, leading to traffic snarls on the key route connecting the northern and southern cities of West Bengal, a senior officer said, according to news agency PTI.
Protesters claimed that migrants from Murshidabad face repeated attacks and unsafe conditions in other states simply for speaking Bengali.
"Migrants from Murshidadbad are being branded Bangladeshis outside West Bengal. They have been facing atrocities for speaking Bengali. We want exemplary punishment for those involved in such attacks," a protester said.
The protest was sparked by news of the death of a Murshidabad native who had migrated to Jharkhand for work, the officer added.
Demonstrators demanded strict action against those responsible, immediate compensation for the victim’s family, and a permanent administrative mechanism to ensure the safety of migrant labourers from Murshidabad.
Senior police officials reached the site and held multiple rounds of talks with the protesters to clear the highway.
However, the agitators refused to disperse, insisting that senior administrative officials visit the site and provide concrete assurances.