At least 4 killed in clashes over NCP rally in Gopalganj

At least four people have been killed in clashes in Gopalganj, according to hospital authorities.

Dr Jibitesh Biswas, superintendent of the 250-bed Gopalganj General Hospital, confirmed to BBC Bangla around 6:45 pm that four bodies with visible injury marks had been brought to the hospital.

The deceased were identified as Deepto Saha (25), son of Santosh Saha from Udayan Road in Gopalganj city, and Ramzan Kazi (18) from Kotalipara, Imon Talukder (18) from Sadar upazila, and Idris Molla from Tungipara.

All of them were shot, the hospital superintendent said.

He added that nine others with gunshot wounds were brought to the hospital and were undergoing surgery.

According to  hospital authority, some 20 to 25 injured were brought to the hospital. Of those, 15 have been admitted to Gopalganj General Hospital, while three in serious condition have been transferred to Dhaka. Several others are reportedly receiving treatment at different healthcare facilities.

The violence, which continued for more than four hours from the afternoon, has left many people injured.

Tensions around the the NCP’s planned programme had been building since Tuesday, fuelled by extensive social media campaigning.

Violence erupted on Wednesday morning before the party leaders could enter the city with their motorcade.

A police vehicle was torched, followed by an attack on the Upazila executive officer, or Upazila Nirbahi Officer’s (UNO), car.

Around 1:30pm, activists purportedly aligned with the Awami League and Chhatra League marched through the city shouting “Joy Bangla” and attacked the NCP’s rally stage at the municipal park.

After a short rally, the NCP leaders attempted to leave for Madaripur via Tekerhat under police escort.

But around 2:45pm, as the convoy reached near Gopalganj Government College in the Launch Ghat area, they came under renewed attack.

In the face of the chaos, the NCP’s central leaders sought refuge at the district police superintendent’s office.

Later, escorted in Army armoured vehicles, they left the premises.

The local administration invoked Section 144 to ban pubic gatherings in the district at noon. As unrest continued, the Chief Advisor’s Office (CAO) announced a curfew from 8pm Wednesday to 6pm Thursday.

Shafiqul Alam, the chief adviser's press secretary, shared the development in a post on his Facebook profile at 6:37pm.

Regarding the Gopalganj unrest, LGRD Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain said, "A curfew has been imposed in Gopalganj, and residents have been instructed to remain indoors unless faced with a life-threatening emergency."

In a Facebook post, Asif mentioned that the deployment of law enforcement personnel has been significantly increased, with a firm directive to dismantle the terrorist networks of banned organisations.

"Senior officials, including the home affairs adviser and the youth and sports adviser, are overseeing the situation from the police control room and providing continuous guidance to ensure order is restored," reads the post.

Earlier around 7.30pm, Additional Inspector General (Crime) Khandaker Rafiqul Islam said he had confirmed three deaths, but warned the toll could rise.

The clashes erupted amid political tension in the area following attacks on a rally organised by the National Citizen Party (NCP) to mark the first anniversary of the July uprising.