‘Will Go Anippeded’: Four killed as a clash in Dhaka during the NCP rally; Interim government blamed Awami League

At least four people were killed in Bangladesh on Wednesday during violent clashes in Gopalganj district of Dhaka between Awami League members, police and army, ANI said citing local media.When the leaders of the newly formed National Citizen Party (NCP) tried to organize a rally in the southern district, the violence erupted, which is also the hometown of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.InterNCP, formed by young leaders of last year’s mass rebellion, has faced strong opposition in Gopalganj. As soon as the party’s central leaders arrived for the rally, they were allegedly attacked by Awami League leaders and workers. The situation quickly increased in a full-developed clash, which used live ammunition and tear gas to disperse the crowd.The violence started around noon and continued till evening. Members of the Awami League allegedly trapped the rally site, set the stage and the chairs of the audience on fire. The region turned into a virtual battleground, with tear gas clouds and bullets and explosions in live television footage. NCP leaders were eventually taken into protective custody by the police.The next day to restore the order, a curfew was imposed in Gopalganj from 8 pm on Wednesday to 8 pm.The rumors spread a night earlier that the NCP planned to demolish the tomb of Bangladesh’s founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and fulfilled more stressful tension. The NCP had earlier vowed to claim Gopalganj politically, but day violence left its leaders instead of police protection.The interim government led by Muhammad Yunus issued a strong condemnation of the attacks. “The use of violence in Gopalganj is completely uncertain today. Stoping a rally in peace to celebrate a one -year anniversary of their revolutionary movement is a shameful violation of their fundamental rights”.He said, “Criminals should be rapidly identified and held completely accountable. There is no place for such violence against any citizen of Bangladesh.” This praised the army and police for their intervention and appreciated the flexibility of students and citizens who continued the rally despite threats.The government vowed justice, announcing that “violence has no place in our nation” and promising that those responsible for cruelty would be brought into justice.