Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Thursday said 25 individuals have so far been arrested in connection with the violence in Gopalganj, and they will be brought under the purview of law.
"Twenty-five people have been arrested and brought under the law," he told reporters at the Secretariat.
"Ten police personnel were injured. Two of them have already been transferred [to Dhaka], and three others were taken to the police hospital. I visited the hospital this morning and saw them myself," he said.
In response to a query about the ongoing enforcement action, Jahangir Alam said, "Operations are underway. This is part of the drive. It will continue as long as necessary. As long as the government stands, everyone involved will be dealt with."
Asked whether there was prior intelligence about the attack, the adviser reiterated, "The agencies had information, but not about the extent of the violence."
He thanked the media for their real-time coverage of the incident.
"You went live yesterday, and that helped us a lot," he said.
"Please convey my thanks to the journalists who covered this incident. They worked very hard and made great efforts to bring the truth to light. Their reporting was beneficial to the country, the nation, and to us."
Earlier, the adviser had told reporters that those involved in unlawful acts would be arrested to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.
At least four people were killed and dozens injured in daylong running battles between law enforcers and Awami League followers in Gopalganj on Wednesday.
UNB reports earlier: the curfew remains in force in Gopalganj district town amid an uneasy calm on Thursday, following violent clashes on Wednesday between Awami League activists and law enforcers over an NCP rally.
The government imposed the curfew to contain the escalating tensions.
According to a statement from the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing, the curfew was supposed to remain in place until 6 pm Thursday.
The Gopalganj district town witnessed heightened unrest throughout Wednesday, as activists of the Awami League, its banned student wing Chhatra League, and other affiliated organisations occupied various points, wielding sticks and hurling brickbats.
In response, the army, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), police, and four platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) intensified patrols across the city to maintain order.
Section 144 was also imposed in Gopalganj Sadar by Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Kamruzzaman, although no time limit was specified.
So far, the clashes have claimed four lives and left dozens injured, according to hospital and police sources.
Meanwhile, the government described the violence in Gopalganj as “utterly indefensible” and warned that those responsible would be brought to justice.
“Let it be made absolutely clear: violence has no place in our nation. Justice must and will prevail,” the government said in a statement on the attack on the peaceful NCP rally.
It added that preventing young citizens from holding a peaceful rally to mark the one-year anniversary of their revolutionary movement was a “shameful violation” of their fundamental rights.
Following the escalation, NCP leaders, including Akhtar Hossain, Hasnat Abdullah, and Sarjis Alam, were evacuated from Gopalganj with the assistance of the army, police, Rab, and BGB.
A widely circulated video on social media showed them entering an armoured vehicle.
They were later taken to Khulna Circuit House and a local hotel.
At a press conference in Khulna at 9:30pm, NCP convener Nahid Islam accused the Awami League and its banned affiliates of launching a militant-style attack on their peaceful rally with intent to kill.
In response, the NCP announced nationwide demonstrations for Thursday to protest the attack.
