Different political parties and students’ organisations in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country on Thursday protested against Wednesday’s violence in Gopalganj over the National Citizen Party rally there.
They alleged that the Awami League carried out the attack in a planned way and demanded that the attackers be brought to book immediately.
At least four people were killed and scores injured in a series of clashes between the members of law enforcement agencies and activists of the Awami League over the NCP rally in Gopalganj on Wednesday.
The NCP held rallies in front of different police stations in Dhaka and offered memorandums to the police demanding the arrest of the hooligans of the Awami League and its affiliated organisations, leaders of the party said.
The party’s Dhaka north and south city units jointly held a press conference at the NCP central office in the capital and announced to hold a rally at the National Press Club today, protesting at the attack and demanding immediate arrest of the attackers.
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Dhaka city north and south units jointly held a rally in front of the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in the afternoon, protesting at the attack on the NCP rally in Gopalganj.
Chairing the rally, Jamaat’s Dhaka city south amir Nurul Islam Bulbul urged the government to arrest the attackers immediately and to bring them to book.
Bulbul also criticised the role of the law enforcement agencies for their failure in maintaining the law and order situation.
He alleged that the law enforcers played a silent role in Gopalganj.
Jamaat secretary general Mia Golam Parwar, assistant secretary general ATM Masum, central executive council member Matiur Rahman Akanda, among others, attended the rally.
They later brought out a procession that paraded along nearby roads.
Communist Party of Bangladesh president Mohammad Shah Alam and general secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince in a joint statement condemned the attack on the NCP rally and extrajudicial killings during the clash in Gopalganj.
¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· Staff Correspondent in Chattogram reported that Jamaat’s Chattogram south district unit held a protest rally at Keranihat in Satkania and Jamaat’s Chattogram city unit held a rally in front of the Andarkilla Shahi Jame Masjid in the port city protesting at the attack.
Democratic Students’ Alliance, a combine of six left student organisations, issued a joint statement condemning the attack on NCP’s rally.
Democratic Students’ Council president Saiedul Hoq Nissan, Socialist Students’ Front president Salman Siddiqui, Bangladesh Students’ Union president Tamzid Haider Chanchol, Revolutionary Students’ Unity president Dilip Roy, Greater Chittagong Hill Tracts Hill Students’ Council president Amol Tripura and Revolutionary Student-Youths’ Movement acting president Tawfika Priya in the joint statement accused the government and joint forces of failing to maintain law and order during the NCP rally in Gopalganj.
The left student leaders demanded justice for the four extrajudicial killings during the clash in Gopalganj.
The Bangladesh Students’ Union president Tamzid Haider Chanchol and general secretary Shimul Kumbhkar in a separate joint statement alleged that the ousted fascist Awami League took advantage of the deteriorated law and order situation.
Forty-six teachers from different universities in a joint statement also protested at the attacks and demanded justice.
Islami Andolan Bangladesh’s Dhaka city north and south units will jointly organise a rally in front of the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque today to protest against the attack on the NCP rally.
The Awami League was ousted from power on August 5, 2024 amid a mass uprising. 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.