Staff Reporter :
Police have filed a case under the Anti-Terrorism Act following a deadly attack on a rally organised by the National Citizen Party (NCP) in Gopalganj, which resulted in five deaths and left more than a hundred people injured, including police officers and journalists.
Gopalganj Sadar Police Station confirmed on Friday that the case, registered two days after the incident, names 75 individuals and lists approximately 475 unidentified persons as accused.
According to Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mir Mohammad Sajedur Rahman, more than 50 people have already been arrested in connection with the violence, with multiple police teams
continuing operations to apprehend others.
The clashes erupted on Wednesday when a procession led by the NCP in the district town reportedly came under attack from hundreds of alleged Awami League supporters and members of its student affiliate, the Bangladesh Chhatra League.
Eyewitnesses said the situation escalated rapidly, with several areas descending into violent confrontation.
The unrest lasted throughout the day, culminating in five fatalities, including 35-year-old rickshaw-puller Ramzan Munshi, who succumbed to his injuries at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Thursday night.
Over 100 others sustained injuries as the violence intensified, prompting authorities to impose a district-wide curfew on Wednesday night.
Initially scheduled to be lifted on Friday morning, the curfew was briefly relaxed from 11am to 2pm to allow residents to purchase essentials but was subsequently extended until 6am Saturday due to ongoing tensions.
Heavily armed police, joint forces, and specialised units remain stationed at key points across the district to prevent further unrest.
So far, 164 people have been detained from various upazilas: Gopalganj Sadar (45), Muksudpur (66), Kashiani (24), Tungipara (17), and Kotalipara (12). All detainees have been remanded to custody following court orders.
In a separate development, another case was filed late Thursday night in relation to attacks on police personnel and arson during the disturbances.
Inspector Ahmed Ali Biswas of Gopinathpur police outpost lodged the complaint, which also names 75 individuals-including the banned district Chhatra League president Newton Molla and general secretary Ataur Rahman Piyal-and lists 450 to 500 unnamed suspects, bringing the total number of accused to 575.
OC Sajedur Rahman stated that the violence escalated after police deployed near the Gopalganj-Tekerhat regional highway in Uloopur were attacked by a group allegedly led by the banned student leaders.
The assailants reportedly vandalised and torched police vehicles, and physically assaulted officers, leaving at least five – including Inspector Biswas – injured.
In response, the Bangladesh Navy and Coast Guard have intensified river patrols and surveillance to prevent suspects from fleeing via waterways.
Navy officer Lieutenant Sajjad and Coast Guard spokesperson Lieutenant Commander Harun-or-Rashid confirmed that special operations are ongoing to monitor and secure river routes.
Meanwhile, local businesses have suffered significantly under the prolonged curfew. Ratan Saha, a fruit vendor at the main market, reported a loss of nearly Tk 30,000 due to spoilage of perishable goods.
“We were only allowed to open for three hours today, and the rest of my stock will likely go to waste. We urgently need the situation to return to normal,” he said.
Authorities have vowed to bring all perpetrators to justice using video footage and witness testimonies. “Anyone found to be involved in the attack will face the full weight of the law,” OC Sajedur Rahman affirmed.
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