Gopalganj turned into a ghost town after the curfew came into force at 8pm on Wednesday. As the night became darker, the streets were almost empty, with only pharmacies and hospitals being operational.
The joint forces were carrying out raids in various areas to arrest the protesters, identifying them with photos and videos available on social media, while the people have been terrified by the indiscriminate gunshots by the army and police personnel in the afternoon, resulting in a dozen deaths and injuries to over 50 others.
But the mainstream media could confirm the death of four people from gunshots.
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The four were identified as Ramzan Kazi, 18, from Kotalipara; Emon, 24, of Sadar Upazila; Dipto Saha, 25, a Chhatra League activist; and Sohel Molla, 41, of Tungipara.
Meanwhile, the top leaders of the National Citizen Party (NCP) and its key ally Jamaat-Shibir have kept threatening publicly to exterminate the Awami League from Gopalganj at any cost during street demonstrations and on social media.
On Facebook, NCP Chief Organiser (North) Md Sirjis Alam said: โToday is the last day to bury all Awami League-affiliated citizens in Gopalganj.โ
NCP Joint Secretary Joynal Abedin Shishir said: โThe Gopalganj Awami League activists will be exterminated and erased from the soil.โ
Another leader of the Kingโs party, Saleh Uddin Sifat, said: โWe have no confidence in law enforcement. Block the highways. Resist Awami League activists and kill them, if needed.โ
The Jamaat-controlled interim government will attempt to do whatever it needs to establish a reign of terror, make space for the NCP-Jamaat, and demolish the mausoleum of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in Tungipara, some 19km from the town.
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After the curfew was imposed, Asif Mahmud, a mob leader-turned-youth and sports adviser of the Yunus regime, posted a status on Facebook, saying that additional troops were mobilised and deployed in Gopalganj. โWill totally exterminate them (Awami League),โ he added.
The whole day, Asif Mahmud and Home Adviser Lt Gen (Retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury were monitoring the situation in Gopalganj on CCTV monitors at the Police Headquarters.
The government also brought in additional police members to the town from the nearby police stations, as they knew that the local people might resist the demolition of the mausoleum.
On Wednesday night, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader announced protests and demonstrations for Thursday and asked party workers to prepare for the โLong March to Jamuna.โ
He 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 NCP and Jamaat-e-Islami, who wanted to destroy the mausoleum of Bangabandhu. โWhen this conspiracy was revealed, the people of Gopalganj, driven by their deep love for Bangabandhu, took to the streets and mounted resistance.โ
Nightmare
After the curfew was announced, from 8pm to 6pm, the government asked all residents to stay at home through the loudspeakers of every mosque in the town.
The district town was empty at night, with no movement of people and vehicles. Silence prevailed everywhere.
The streets remained messy because of the sticks, brick pieces, wood logs, and remains of broken chairs from the NCP rally.
Reporters on the ground said they found no shops open, except for the pharmacies.
Those working as night guards and security guards in various institutions were staying inside by locking the gates.
Locals said that male members of most of the families have gone into hiding to evade arrest.
Additional armed police were deployed along with the regular police members at the entrances and exits of the town. If anyone was seen outside, they were interrogated and frisked.
Various transport counters from Gopalganj to Dhaka were also closed after 8pm.
Visiting the government hospital, journalists said those admitted with injuries wanted to escape to avoid being arrested.
Relatives of some of the injured said that if they stayed here, the police could arrest them as suspects. Therefore, the injured were trying to leave without receiving full treatment.
Another source said the health adviser, Nurjahan Begum, asked the hospital authorities not to provide treatment for the injured.
The government has ordered the supply of medical equipment, medicines, and emergency services to the hospitals in Gopalganj. As a result, many injured people are in danger of dying without treatment without receiving the necessary treatment.
A well-planned plot
Ahead of their showdown on Wednesday, members of the NCP and Jamaat-Shibir were gathering in Gopalganj for the last couple of days. They took shelter in residential hotels and houses of party members.
On the other hand, the law enforcers carried out arrests of Awami League supporters in the town and nearby areas in various cases, prompting them to go into hiding to evade arrest.
As the plot was almost ready, a day before the rally, several leaders of the NCP, including Convener Nahid Islam, and known faces like Md Sarjis Alam and Tasnim Jara, posted on Facebook about โMarch to Gopalganjโ on Wednesday.
The NCP changed the name of Gopalganj event from โJuly March to Rebuild the Nationโ deliberately to stage a massacre and destabilise the nation. It also had a plan to demolish the mausoleum.
Earlier, the NCP supporters and their Islamist allies vandalised, torched, and bulldozed the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi-32 several times since capturing power on August 5 last year.
Politicians and journalists say the programme name was chosen similarly to issue a threat to show how ruthless they are when they say they will march towards a place or establishment. The country saw how they had attacked Ganabhaban to assassinate Sheikh Hasina and her sister, Sheikh Rehana, on August 5.
Awami League President and five-time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has strongly denounced the horrific attack and barbaric killings in Gopalganj as part of a deep conspiracy by illegal occupier, murderer-fascist Muhammad Yunus and his gang.
In a statement issued on Wednesday night, 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
She prayed for the forgiveness of the souls of the martyrs, expressed condolences to the bereaved families and relatives, and instructed local leaders to ensure proper medical treatment and extend all necessary support and solidarity to the victims.
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