At least four people were killed and several others injured on Wednesday when violence broke out during a rally by the youth-led National Citizen Party (NCP) in the southern town of Gopalganj, local media reported.
The demonstration, held to mark the one-year anniversary of last year’s student-led uprising that ousted long-time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, turned deadly after clashes erupted between attendees and opposing groups. According to BBC News Bangla, four people lost their lives, while local daily Prothom Alo reported nine others were injured.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, who has served as interim head of government since Hasina’s departure to India in August last year, condemned the violence in a post on X (formerly Twitter). He stated that participants from the NCP, members of the press, and police officers were attacked during what he described as a peaceful gathering. Vehicles were vandalised, and multiple individuals were assaulted.
“Preventing young citizens from peacefully holding a rally to commemorate the one-year anniversary of their revolutionary movement is a shameful violation of their fundamental rights,” Yunus said, directly blaming Hasina’s Awami League party and its student affiliate for instigating the violence.
The incident underscores the deepening political divisions in Bangladesh, where promised democratic reforms have faced repeated delays. Public frustration has grown steadily since last year’s uprising, which forced Hasina to flee amid mass protests led primarily by students and young citizens.
In response to the violence, authorities have imposed a curfew in Gopalganj. Police and hospital officials have yet to release an official statement on the casualties or cause of the confrontation, despite multiple requests for comment.
Meanwhile, the Awami League claimed on Facebook that one of its members had been killed by army gunfire during the unrest—an allegation that further complicates the rapidly evolving crisis.
The situation remains tense, with civil rights groups and international observers calling for restraint and a transparent investigation into the events surrounding Wednesday’s rally.
Melissa Enoch
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