‘Serious human rights violations’ in Gopalganj

POBNEWS24, Dhaka July 25,2025 : The non-governmental organization Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) believes that there has been a ‘serious human rights violation’ in the attack and violence surrounding the Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP) rally in Gopalganj.
The organization says that the attack on the political rally there has violated the right of citizens to assemble.
Again, regarding the beginning of the conflict, ASK said that some offensive comments were made targeting Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Awami League in the speech given at the NCP rally. Immediately after these comments, the situation heated up and later the conflict took a terrible shape.
ASK says that after the conflict incident in Gopalganj on July 16 over the NCP program, a four-member delegation of theirs investigated and prepared this report on July 21 and 22. Those observations were highlighted in a press release on Friday.
In the report, ASK said that the incident of attacks on leaders, activists and supporters of the local Awami League and its associate organizations occurred over a pre-scheduled political rally of the Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP). So far, 5 citizens have died and many others have been injured due to the ‘force’ used by the law enforcement agencies to control the situation.
The press release said, citing those who attended the rally, that around 10:30 am, 50-60 people went to the rally venue and started vandalizing the chairs placed in front of it, shouting the slogan ‘Joy Bangla’. At that time, approximately 150 to 200 NCP supporters who had attended the rally left the rally venue and headed towards the DC office.
Then, the people who had attended the rally organized themselves and when the law enforcement members chased the attackers, they quickly left the scene. Later, the security of the rally venue was increased by the police and the army.
Around 1 pm, the national leaders of the NCP reached the rally venue under the guard of the police and the army. After they finished their speeches, got off the stage and got into their vehicles, immediately after the Awami League and their supporters started throwing bricks and stones at the law enforcement agencies on duty at various spots in the city.
At one point, clashes spread throughout the city. Law enforcement agencies fired sound grenades, tear gas shells and bullets. The injured were taken to Sadar Hospital on the spot, where four of them were declared dead.
ASK says that the attackers have been reported to have thrown bricks and stones violently during the attack before the rally and the clashes after the rally. Some of them were carrying domestic weapons.
Although cocktails were fired during the attack, there is no information that the attackers used firearms. However, ASK says that there were ‘indiscriminate shootings’ by law enforcement agencies.
The organization says, “The violence in Gopalganj has resulted in serious human rights violations. In addition, the attack on a political rally has violated the right of citizens to assemble. ASK demands a fair and impartial investigation into the incident.”
The press release said, “According to eyewitnesses, the NCP leaders arrived at the rally venue in the presence of a small number of supporters and delivered a speech. In the speech, some offensive comments were made targeting Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Awami League. Immediately after these comments, the situation heated up and later the clash took a terrible shape.
“Eyewitnesses also said that in response to the speech, the ‘general public’ took to the streets, at one point a bloody clash took place for three hours.”
Highlighting the allegations of arbitrary detention and arrest during the curfew and Section 144 in Gopalganj, ASK said, “There have even been allegations of extortion by threatening to detain. People are having to flee their homes due to fear.
ASK said that a ‘kind of frightening situation’ exists between the innocent and the common people and that even in areas of the district where violence or unpleasant incidents did not occur due to the rally, the law enforcement agencies have been receiving complaints of ‘arrests’.
“During the investigation, it was learned that the day before the rally, the local administration ordered shops near the rally site to be closed. Shop owners closed their shops on the administration’s orders. Many businessmen in the area near the rally site also said that on the morning of the rally, the administration forcibly closed the shops and in some places, there were incidents of lowering the shutters of shops and detaining people inside the shops.
“On the day of the rally, the local Awami League and their supporters took up positions at various points in the city from the morning. According to eyewitnesses, they had sticks and country-made weapons in their hands.”
Deepto Saha (25), Ramzan Kazi (18), Emon Talukder (17) and Sohel Molla (32) were shot dead in the violence. Later, on July 18, another person named Ramzan Munshi, who was shot, died while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
ASK says, “Talking to the family of the deceased Emon Talukder, it was learned that they rushed to the hospital after receiving the news of the shooting around 1:30 on the day of the incident. The hospital authorities were forced to bury the body without an autopsy as they were pressured to take it away quickly at around 5 pm.
“They also said that Emon had bullet wounds and injuries on his body, including his face. The family members also claimed that a video of a boy being thrown onto the street by army members and kicked in the face has gone viral on social media. The boy being beaten by army members in this video is their family’s Emon. Emon was not involved in any politics, he worked in a crockery shop.”