Leaders and activists of the National Citizen Party (NCP) blocked the Shahbag intersection, Dhaka-Aricha and Dhaka-Ctg highways in the capital city of Dhaka and on Wednesday afternoon, protesting attacks by the supporters of Awami League and banned Bangladesh Chhatra League on a rally venue and the convoy of party leaders in Gopalganj.
The blockade at Shahbagh began around 5pm as NCP supporters and started chanting slogans condemning the attack.
As of 5:25pm, vehicular movement through the busy intersection remained halted, causing significant traffic congestion in the surrounding areas.
NCP members from Dhaka Metropolitan along with central and Dhaka University leaders of the Democratic Students' Council were seen participating in the protest. Among them was Abu Bakr Mojumdar, the central convener of the council.
The protesters chanted slogans such as "Why the attack in Gopalganj? We demand answers!", "Why is my brother bleeding? Interim government must answer!", "Break the dark hands of the Awami League!" etc.
NCP's Joint Member Secretary Akram Hossain CF said, "Our blockade will continue across the country until all our leaders return safely from Gopalganj."
Besides, leaders and activists of the NCP have also blocked highways in Dhaka and Narayanganj, protesting the attack on their convoy in Gopalganj by members of the banned Awami League and its affiliated organisation, Bangladesh Chhatra League.
Around 4:30pm on Wednesday, some protesters blocked the Dhaka-Aricha highway demanding justice for the attack on NCP leaders in Gopalganj.
The protesters, including students and NCP members, blocked the highway for an hour, gathering near the main gate of Jahangirnagar University and taking position on the highway, bringing traffic on both sides to a standstill.
During this time, protesters alleged that a peaceful program in Gopalganj was deliberately attacked, demanding immediate arrest and trial of the attackers and warning of tougher action if their demands are not met.
The blockade ended around 5.20pm, our correspondent reported.
Meanwhile, some NCP members blocked the Dhaka-Chattogram highway in Signboard area in Narayanganj, protesting over the same incident.
The blockade in Narayanganj was led by Abdullah Al Amin, central join member secretary of NCP, according to our correspondent.
Gopalganj attack on NCP sparks protests in Feni, Cumilla
Moreover, leaders and activists of Anti-Discrimination Student Movement blocked highways in different parts of the country including Feni and Cumilla protesting the attack on the leaders of National Citizen Party (NCP) in Gopalganj on Wednesday.
In Feni, the protesters blocked Dhaka-Chattogram highway at Mohipal Flyover in Feni around 4 pm, halting vehicular movement.
The protesters took to the streets around 4:30 pm and blocked the highway.
A 10-km long tailback has been created on both sides of the highway.
The protesters also brought out a procession which ended at Feni Shahid Minar around 6 pm.
Feni Anti-Discrimination Movement leader condemns attack on July activists in Gopalganj.
Condemning the attack on NCP leaders, Abdullah Al Zubayer, Feni district organiser of the Anti-Discrimination Movement, said that the Awami “fascism” has once again created instability centering the NCP programme in Gopalganj.
“No matter what they do, the July revolutionaries cannot be suppressed. Our sit-in is part of the central programme. If any harm comes to the leaders of the July movement, the students and people of Bengal will not remain silent,” he said.
Earlier, central leaders of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement announced a blockade at key points across the country in protest of the attack on July activists in Gopalganj. They later revised the call asking supporters to hold protests along the roads instead of blocking traffic.
They urged all units of the anti-discrimination student movement, local student organisations, political parties and general students to join the nationwide protests.
Mohammad Shamsuzzaman, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Feni Model Police Station said that vehicular movement was halted on the highway due to the protests.
This caused a traffic jam stretching nearly 10 kilometers.
Additional police have been deployed in the area to avert further trouble.
In Cumilla, vehicular movement on Dhaka-Chattogram highway remained suspended for half-an-hour as the leaders and activists of Anti-Discrimination Student Movement blocked the road protesting attack on NCP leaders in Gopalganj.
The protesters took to the street around 5 pm at Kotbari Biswa Road, causing immense sufferings to the commuters.
The protesters claimed that the attack on NCP leaders was carried out in a planned way.
Earlier in the day, a number of people, including police personnel, were injured in an attack carried out by activists of AL and banned BCL to foil NCP’s programme in Gopalganj.
The local administration slapped Section-144 in Gopalganj Sadar amid clashes between law enforcers and Awami League and Chhatra League activists (BCL) over NCP’s scheduled programme.
A tense situation was prevailing in the city following the chase and counter-chase between the law enforcers and the AL supporters.
