• Source:JND
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Bangladesh Gopalganj Clash:  At least four individuals died and dozens were injured in bitter confrontations between Awami League (AL) supporters and law enforcement agencies in Bangladesh's Gopalganj district on Wednesday, triggered by tensions surrounding a rally by the National Citizen Party (NCP), local media reports. The clashes broke out in front of Poura Park in Gopalganj town following the alleged blocking of roads by hundreds of AL activists, uprooting of trees, torching a government jeep, and gherao of the pre-scheduled venue of NCP's rally in defiance of a government ban on all political activities of the AL.

Clashes Break Out After NCP Rally Gheraoed

As per The Daily Star, clashes turned violent when NCP leaders walked out of the rally and were reportedly attacked by AL supporters at Chowrangi. Witnesses said that police fired bullets to disperse the crowd and caused several casualties. One of the victims, named Dipto, was shot in the abdomen as he made his way to work. In the wake of the unrest, authorities have imposed a curfew in Gopalganj from 8 pm on Wednesday until 6 pm Thursday. Examinations of HSC, Alim, and HSC (Vocational) exams that were going on were also postponed by the respective education boards late on Wednesday night.

Addressing a press conference in Khulna, NCP Convener Nahid Islam accused their motorcade of being ambushed by AL supporters armed with guns when it was going to Madaripur from the rally. In spite of the attacks, the NCP asserted that it will go ahead with its scheduled rally in Faridpur on Thursday. As the rally got underway, 200–300 armed men burst into the venue, pulled down banners, and detonated crude bombs, prompting police briefly to fall back. Afterwards, NCP leaders and the police allegedly repelled the attackers.

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ICRF Calls For UN Inquiry Into Bangladesh Clashes

In a sudden twist, UK-based International Crime Research Foundation (ICRF) has appealed to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in a letter, calling for an international probe into the event. The ICRF states that the violence was ignited by a "premeditated assault" launched by NCP supporters to desecrate the graveyard of the father of Bangladesh, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and that the Bangladesh Army also assisted the NCP in the violence. Viral images on social media depict security officials reportedly firing guns at unarmed civilians, with horrific photos of a civilian named Dipto Saha killed in the streets of Gopalganj.

The Bangladesh interim government remains silent over the ICRF's call for a UN-helmed fact-finding team. Political parties like the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami, however, continue to denounce the brutality. "July 16 events are not only an attack against a community; they are an attack against a nation's soul, its history, and identity," the ICRF stated in its letter, adding that international community silence would encourage more violence.

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The episode highlights rising political polarisation in Bangladesh, with mounting worries of clashes, communal tensions, and accusations of abuse of state machinery. If the UN accedes to an international inquiry, it could be a rare example of direct international intervention in Bangladesh's internal political crisis, especially one involving the legacy of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.