A 22-hour curfew has been enforced in Gopalganj from 8:00pm on Wednesday, July 16, until 6:00pm on Thursday, July 17, following violent clashes that claimed at least four lives.
The announcement was made by Foyez Ahammed, Senior Assistant Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser, on Wednesday evening at 7:08pm, as the district reeled from escalating unrest.
The chaos was triggered by attacks on a National Citizen Party (NCP) rally and convoy, allegedly by supporters of the banned Awami League and its affiliates, Chhatra League and Juba League.
The violence, centred around Municipal Park and Launch Ghat, involved vandalism, arson, and assaults on NCP leaders, police, and journalists, transforming these areas into battlegrounds.
Police and army units, deploying rubber bullets, tear gas, and blank fire, struggled to restore order, prompting the district administration to initially impose Section 144 before escalating to a curfew.
Dr Jibitesh Biswas, superintendent of Gopalganj’s 250-bed General Hospital, confirmed to BBC Bangla at 6:45pm that four bodies had arrived at the facility, each bearing injury marks. While many others injured in the clashes received treatment, the exact number of casualties remains unclear as the situation unfolds.
The curfew aims to curb further violence and enable law enforcement to pursue the perpetrators. The attacks began around 1:35pm with the vandalism of the NCP rally stage at Municipal Park, followed by a brutal ambush on the NCP convoy at 2:30pm.
The unrest, marked by burning chairs and stage equipment, forced NCP leaders, including convener Nahid Islam and chief coordinators Sarjis Alam and Hasnat Abdullah, to seek refuge in the Superintendent of Police’s office before their evacuation under military escort after 5:00pm.
Gopalganj remains volatile, with shops shuttered and traffic halted. The authorities are intensifying efforts to stabilise the area and hold those responsible accountable.
The curfew underscores the severity of the crisis, as the Interim Government vows to ensure justice and prevent further political violence in this historical Awami League stronghold.