Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) has called for a fair and impartial investigation into the violence between locals in Gopalganj and law enforcement forces centring an NCP rally on 16 July, which left five people dead and many others injured.
In a statement released to the media on Friday, the prominent human rights organisation also said the violence has resulted in serious human rights violations.
The attack on the NCP rally was a violation of citizens' right to freedom of assembly, the ASK report said.
On 16 July, the National Citizens' Party (NCP) held a rally in the district, a stronghold of Awami League. Supporters of the party, which was ousted from power in August 2024 by a student-led mass uprising, attacked the rally venue before the rally began.
After the rally, the convoy carrying NCP leaders came under attack, and law enforcement then clashed with the attackers.
In its detailed report, ASK raised serious concerns over allegations of unlawful killings, arbitrary arrests, and excessive use of force by multiple law enforcement agencies, including the army.
ASK documented findings from a two-day fact-finding mission conducted in Gopalganj on 21 and 22 July. The team interviewed families of victims, eyewitnesses, medical professionals, law enforcement personnel, and jail officials.
Eyewitness accounts and deaths
According to the report, the violence began when a group of individuals chanting "Joy Bangla" allegedly disrupted the NCP rally by vandalising chairs and provoking chaos. NCP supporters reportedly went toward the deputy commissioner's office, only to be dispersed by police. Security was subsequently tightened with the deployment of police and army personnel.
Shortly after NCP central leaders concluded speeches critical of the ruling Awami League and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, clashes erupted in multiple locations across the city. Stones were reportedly thrown at security forces, prompting them to respond with sound grenades and tear gas.
ASK reported that at least five people were killed—Imon Talukder, 17, Ramzan Kazi, 18, Deepto Saha, 25, Sohel Molla, 32, and Ramzan Munshi. Four died at Gopalganj General Hospital, while Munshi died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Allegations of suppressed autopsies
Family members told ASK that the bodies were handed over in a hurry, with pressure to bury or cremate them without postmortem examinations. Initially, autopsy was carried out on only one of the bodies. After public outrage, police contacted families (excluding Deepto Saha's) about exhuming bodies for delayed postmortems, a process which the victims' relatives described as "secondary harassment".
More to follow...
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