At least four people were killed and scores were injured in a series of clashes between the members of the law enforcement agencies and the activists of the Awami League in Gopalganj district town on Wednesday.
The clashes occurred over the National Citizen Party rally in the town to mark the first anniversary of the July uprising.
The Gopalganj district administration has informed the home ministry that the whole district remains under the purview of curfew from 8:00pm on Wednesday and 6:00pm on Thursday, according to the government officials concerned. 聽
Gopalganj district civil surgeon Abu Syeed Mohammad Faruk said that four people, all inhabitants of Gopalganj district town, were killed during the clashes.
The deceased are Dipto Saha, 25, of Post Office Mor, Ramjan Kazi, 18, and Sohel Molla, 41, of Thanapara, and Emon of Arpara, he said.
He could not say the age of Emon immediately.
Faruk said that they provided treatment to 13 injured people at Gopalganj General Hospital.
Additional inspector general of police Khondoker Rafiqul Islam, however, said that they could confirm three deaths.
聽鈥榃e could not verify their brief and political identities immediately as the situation of the entire Gopalganj was devastating,鈥� the police officer said. 聽
The interim government on May 12 banned all activities of the Awami League and its affiliated, allied, and like-minded organisations until the completion of the trials at the International Crimes Tribunal.
The clashes in Gopalganj began when the activists of banned organisation Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of the AL, and the AL attacked the NCP leaders鈥� motorcade at Chowrangi Mor after completion of its brief rally in the district town.
The entire Gopalganj municipality area turned into a battlefield for a series of clashes between the members of the law enforcement agencies and Awami League activists.
The police fired rubber bullets, hurled sound grenades and lobbed tear gas shells and the members of the Bangladesh Army opened fire in the air to disperse Awami League activists and to save the NCP leaders.
Scores of people were injured in the clash between the police and AL activists, witnesses, local administration and the police said.
Talking to reporters on the office premises of the Gopalganj district superintendent of police, NCP chief coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary claimed that the activists of local Awami League and its affiliated organisations from across the country took shelter in Gopalganj and launched attacks on them.
He alleged that the police and army personnel supported the Awami League and remained inactive instead of ensuring security for the NCP leaders and activists.
Gopalganj sadar upazila nirbahi officer M Rokibul Hasan, however, claimed that the allegations of the NCP leaders were not true as the administration had provided all-out security for them.
Addressing a brief rally in the afternoon at Gopalganj Municipality Park area, NCP convener Nahid Islam said that the NCP would come again in Gopalganj to make sure that the country was free from Mujibism and Mujib-made constitution.
The NCP, its youth wing Jatiya Juba Shakti, and Students Against Discrimination, immediately after the attack in Gopalganj, announced countrywide blockade for today.
They later scrapped today鈥檚 countrywide protest programme after the NCP leaders and activists had left the town with the help of law enforcement and security agencies.
The NCP leaders left the district Superintendent of Police office premises in armoured personnel carriers of the army.
NCP joint member secretary Mushfiq Us Salehin told 抖阴精品 that they left Gopalganj town at about 5:15pm with the protection of the police and the army.
The Inter Services Public Relation Directorate said that the NCP leaders were evacuated successfully from Gopalganj through armoured personnel carrier. 聽
鈥榃e commend the army and the police for their prompt intervention, and we applaud the resilience and courage of the students and people who carried on with their rally despite these malicious threats,鈥� the statement of the government shared by the chief adviser鈥檚 press wing.
The statement said that those responsible for this brutality would be brought to book.
鈥楲et it be made absolutely clear: violence has no place in our nation. Justice must and will prevail,鈥� it added.
The CA office said that the use of violence in Gopalganj was 鈥榰tterly indefensible鈥�.
In the wake of the attack on the NCP motorcade, Border Guard Bangladesh deployed four platoons of BGB members while the district administration imposed section 144 in the area, according to the BGB and district administration officials. 聽
The attackers vandalised chairs at the NCP programme venue at Gopalganj Municipality Park before beginning the rally at about 2:00pm.
They again vandalised the chairs and the stage there and set fire to them after the rally, witnesses said.
Jail authorities said that a group of people attacked the Gopalganj district jail and vandalisd the glass of a number of windows outside the jail.
Kotalipara upazila unit BCL general secretary Shamim Daira told 抖阴精品 over the phone that they blocked the road in the Kotalipara area to prevent NCP leaders from entering Gopalganj.
鈥楴o clash took place in Kotalipara as all happened in Gopalganj sadar,鈥� he claimed.
Youth and sports affairs adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain on his official Facebook profile wrote that he, along with the home adviser and chiefs of law enforcement agencies, were monitoring the Gopalganj situation and providing necessary guidance from the police control room.聽聽
Protesting at the attack on the NCP rally and motorcade in Gopalganj, 聽Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami secretary general Mia Golam Parwar, the Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir, the Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, and the Gono Odhikar Parishad issued separate statements expressing deep concern over the attack.
They demanded immediate arrest of and exemplary punishment for the attackers.
In a separate statement, the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami announced countrywide demonstrations for Thursday protesting against the attack.聽聽
Inquilab Mancha brought out a procession from the Dhaka University campus protesting against the attack. The procession ended at Shahbagh.
The platform鈥檚 spokesperson Sharif Osman Bin Hadi accused the law enforcement and security agencies of failing to prevent the attack.
At a press conference at Shahbagh in the evening, Students Against Discrimination president Rifat Rashid issued a 24-hour ultimatum to arrest all 鈥榗riminals鈥� of the Awami League and its affiliated organisations from across the country, ensure reforms in the police force, and announce the July Declaration.
Earlier, NCP, SAD and Juba Shakti activists blocked the Shahbagh crossing for about one hour from 5:00pm.
Activists of the party also blocked different highways, including Dhaka-Sylhet highway in the Chandipul area and Dhaka-Aricha highway in the Gazir area, for some times in the afternoon. They withdrew the blockades after NCP central leaders in Facebook posts had asked to lift all the blockades.
Dhaka University units of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir held separate protest rallies and brought out separate processions on the DU campus in the evening, reported our DU correspondent.
NCP鈥檚 Dhaka city north and south units jointly brought out a torch procession at Shahbagh area in the evening condemning the attack.
抖阴精品 Staff Correspondent in Chattogram reported that leaders and activists of the NCP, SAD and Bangladesh Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad jointly held a protest rally and brought out a procession at the 2 No Gate intersection in the port city.
The NCP postponed their Wednesday鈥檚 scheduled rallies in Madaripur and Shariatpur districts following the attack.
NCP leaders reached the Khulna circuit house in the evening.
Addressing a press briefing there, the party convener Nahid Islam said that the AL and its affiliated organisations launched the attacks in a planned way in a bid to kill the NCP leaders.
He announced that NCP would hold protest demonstrations across the country today.
Nahid demanded proper investigation into the attacks and the arrest of the attackers within 24 hours.
Gopalganj Sadar UNO Rakibul said that his vehicle was attacked while returning to office after visiting the incident of torching a police vehicle that occurred at about 9:30am in the Khatiagor Charpara.
He said that three police personnel were injured in the morning鈥檚 attack.
The government on Wednesday evening postponed the Higher Secondary Certificate and its equivalent examinations in Gopalganj district for Thursday, considering the overall law and order situation and safety of the examinees.