4 killed as pro-Hasina activists clash with Bangladesh police, curfew imposed in Gopalganj

At least four people lost their lives during violent clashes in Gopalganj, the hometown of Bangladesh’s founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, according to news reports. The trouble started on Wednesday during a rally planned by the student-led National Citizen Party (NCP). As hundreds of supporters of Sheikh Hasina, the former Prime Minister and daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman gathered, tensions rose. A big fight broke out between them and the police, turning the area into a warzone, as reported by the Prothom Alo newspaper.

Three of the people who died were named as Dipto Saha (25), Ramazan Kazi (18), and Sohel Molla (41). Doctors at Gopalganj General Hospital said they were brought in with gunshot wounds. Nine more people are also being treated at the hospital for bullet injuries.

To bring the situation under control, four extra platoons of the Border Guard Bangladesh (around 200 soldiers) were sent to Gopalganj. Officials said they would take strong action against those who attacked the NCP.

The office of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus announced a 22-hour curfew starting at 8 PM on Wednesday. They promised that those responsible for the violence would be held accountable.

Protesters, equipped with bamboo sticks and brickbats

According to news reports and people who were at the scene, the protesters were armed with bamboo sticks and stones and got into fights with the police, army, and paramilitary forces (BGB).

The heavy security was in place for a rally planned by the newly formed NCP. This party was launched in February and grew out of the Students Against Discrimination movement. It has the backing of the interim government’s head, Muhammad Yunus.

During the unrest, protesters damaged police vehicles and even the car of the local administrative officer. They also attacked the NCP convoy. In response, security forces fired shots to try and control the situation.

Despite the violence, the NCP still went ahead with their rally. The stage was damaged, and the sound system was broken, but the event continued. Nahid Islam, the party’s convenor, led the rally and declared that if the police and authorities failed to deliver justice, they would take matters into their own hands.

The NCP convenor declared that if justice over the attack on their rally venue was not delivered promptly, their party would return to “liberate Gopalganj from Mujibism” with their own hands.

Yunus reacts to the violence

In a strong statement, the office of interim government head Muhammad Yunus condemned the violence in Gopalganj, calling it completely unacceptable.

“The use of violence today in Gopalganj is utterly indefensible. Stopping young people from peacefully gathering to mark the first anniversary of their movement is a shameful violation of their basic rights,” the statement said.

It further blamed the attack on members of the banned Awami League’s student wing, Chhatra League, along with other AL supporters. “This brutal act will not go unpunished. Those responsible must be quickly found and held fully accountable. There can be no excuse for violence against any citizen of Bangladesh,” the chief adviser’s office added.

Protesters Set Fire to Mujibur Rahman’s Memorial

Back in February, thousands of protesters set fire to the house of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi 32 area. The house, which had been turned into a memorial, was attacked during a massive wave of public anger.

This happened months after Sheikh Hasina fled the country on August 5 last year. She has been living in India since then, after a huge student-led protest forced her Awami League government to step down after 16 years in power.

While Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is still remembered by many as the hero of Bangladesh’s independence, growing anger toward his daughter has started to damage his image among the younger generation.

Mujibur Rahman was assassinated on August 15, 1975, along with most of his family in a military coup carried out by junior army officers. Hasina and her sister, Rehana, survived only because they were in Germany at the time.

(With PTI inputs)

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