At least four people were killed on Wednesday in Bangladesh during violent clashes in Dhaka’s Gopalganj district between Awami League members, police, and the army, reported ANI citing local media.The violence erupted when leaders of the newly formed National Citizen Party (NCP) attempted to hold a rally in the southern district, which is also the hometown of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.interThe NCP, formed by youth leaders of last year’s mass uprising, has faced strong opposition in Gopalganj. As the party’s central leaders arrived for the rally, they were reportedly attacked by Awami League leaders and workers. The situation quickly escalated into a full-blown clash involving the police and army, who used live ammunition and tear gas to disperse the crowds.The violence began around noon local time and continued until the evening. Awami League members allegedly vandalised the rally venue, setting fire to the stage and audience chairs. The area turned into a virtual battlefield, with live television footage showing tear gas clouds and sounds of gunfire and explosions. NCP leaders were eventually taken into protective custody by police.A curfew was imposed in Gopalganj from 8 pm Wednesday until 6 pm the next day to restore order.Rumors had spread the night before that the NCP planned to demolish the mausoleum of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh, further fueling tensions. The NCP had earlier vowed to claim Gopalganj politically, but the day’s violence left its leaders under police protection instead.The interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus issued a strong condemnation of the attacks. “The use of violence today in Gopalganj is utterly indefensible. Preventing young citizens from peacefully holding a rally to commemorate the one-year anniversary of their revolutionary movement is a shameful violation of their fundamental rights”, the statement read.“The perpetrators must be swiftly identified and held fully accountable. There is no place for such violence against any citizen of Bangladesh,” it added. It praised the army and police for their intervention and commended the resilience of the students and citizens who continued the rally despite threats.The government vowed justice, declaring that “violence has no place in our nation” and promising that those responsible for the brutality would be brought to justice.
