Bangladesh Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has declared demonstrations across the country for Thursday in protest against the barbaric killings in Gopalganj.
In a statement issued on Wednesday night, he also asked party leaders and workers to prepare for the โLong March to Jamunaโ.
He also urged the pro-liberation people to unite and build a united front against the ominous forces, led by Muhammad Yunus.
Quader said the people from all walks of life in Gopalganj were united and raised their voices against the terrorists and militant groups linked to the National Citizen Party (NCP) and Jamaat-e-Islami, who wanted to destroy the mausoleum of Bangabandhu.
โIn the days leading up to todayโs events in Gopalganj, NCPโs deceptive elements were making provocative statements and showing aggressive intentions. Their underlying plan was a deeply sinister oneโto attack the mausoleum of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in Tungipara, Gopalganj.
Dozens feared dead as army, police open fire on Awami League supporters in Gopalganj
โWhen this conspiracy was revealed, the people of Gopalganj, driven by their deep love for Bangabandhu, took to the streets and mounted resistance.
โDuring that public protest march, the army, police, and NCP-Shibir terrorist-militants launched attacks and fired indiscriminately, killing four people and injuring over 25 others with gunfire.โ
The four were identified as Ramzan Kazi, 18, from Kotalipara; Emon, 24, of Sadar Upazila; Dipto Saha, 25, a Chhatra League activist of the town; and Sohel Molla, 41, of Tungipara.
In the evening, Asif Mahmud, a mob leader-turned-youth and sports adviser of the Yunus regime, posted on Facebook that additional troops were mobilised and deployed to โtotally exterminate the Awami Leagueโ as a curfew was imposed in Gopalganj till 6pm on Thursday.
Asif Mahmud and Home Adviser Lt Gen (Retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury were monitoring law and order using CCTV footage at the Police Headquarters throughout the day.
On Wednesday night, Awami League President and five-time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina condemned the deaths in a separate statement.
The daughter of Bangabandhu, Deshratna Sheikh Hasina, called upon the citizens to unite in the spirit of progressive, democratic, modern, and non-communal ideals to crush the tyranny of murderer-fascist Yunus, the godfather of mob terrorism, and to protect Bangladesh.
She extended her heartfelt thanks and gratitude to the โbrave people of Gopalganjโborn of a heroic landโfor standing up and resisting Yunus.โ
Sheikh Hasina said: โThe mercenary forces of the murderer-fascist Yunus opened fire indiscriminately on innocent civilians in Gopalganj. In response, several have been martyred by law enforcement gunfire, and countless others have been seriously injured. This despicable terrorism by the state-sponsored forces and goons unleashed by murderer-fascist Yunus surpasses even medieval barbarity.โ
The government declared a curfew in the district town from 8pm to 6pm on Thursday. In a statement issued by the Chief Adviserโs Press Wing, the government said that the attack on the NCP rally was a โheinous actโ and that the perpetrators will not go unpunished.
After the curfew was imposed, the army and police personnel started carrying out raids to arrest the members of the Awami League and its affiliated organisations.
Videos of army personnel using lethal weapons against the protesters and brutally torturing activists on the streets have gone viral on social media.
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