National Citizen Party (NCP) leaders have started addressing the rally in Golpalganj on Wednesday amid clashes between the personnel provided from different law-enforcing agencies and activists of Bangladesh Awami League and banned Bangladesh Chhatra League
.
Party convener Nahid Islam, leaders Hasnat Abdullah, Sarjis Alam, and Tasnim Jara, among others, joined the rally.
Just moments before the leaders arrived, the venue was vandalised allegedly by leaders and activists of the banned Awami League and its student wing, Chhatra League.
The incident took place around 1:35pm at the municipal park area in Gopalganj town, confirmed Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Gopalganj Sadar Police Station, Mir Md Sajedur Rahman.
According to eyewitnesses and party sources, the attackers vandalised the stage, sound system, microphones, and chairs.
The NCP began the month-long nationwide programme titled "Desh Gorte July Podojatra (July March to Build the Nation)" on 1 July and will take place across all 64 districts of Bangladesh till 20 July.
Earlier, several people, including police personnel, were injured in an attack in what the local administration claimed was carried out by activists of Awami League and banned Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) to foil NCP’s scheduled programme in the district on Wednesday.
“As part of NCP’s July march, there is a scheduled march and a meeting in the municipal park of Gopalganj today. To disrupt their programme, Awami League and Chhatra League activists initially attacked the police and later attacked and vandalized my car convoy,” said Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer M Rakibul Hasan.
The attack was carried out in Gandhiyashur area of Gopalganj Sadar upazila in the morning.
Echoing the UNO, officer-in-charge (OC) of Gopalganj Sadar Police Station Mir Md Sajedur Rahman said the NCP central leaders were supposed to visit the district as part of their month-long pgroamme.
Additional police forces have been deployed to prevent further trouble, he said, adding that no arrests have been made so far.
He, however, could not figure out the number of the injured police personnel immediately.
On August 10 last, at least seven people, including five army personnel, were injured and an army vehicle was set on fire during a clash near Gopinathpur bus stand in Sadar upazila.
Around 40,000 leaders and activists of the Awami League and its affiliated organisations took to the streets in a procession, protesting the forced exile of Awami League President Sheikh Hasina and demanding her immediate return to the country.
Later, a case was filed in Gopalganj naming 106 people and over 3200 unidentified ones for assaulting army personnel, vandalizing vehicles, arson attack, and snatching weapons.
