Bangladesh: 4 Dead, Curfew Imposed After Clashes Rock Sheikh Hasina's Hometown

Last Updated:July 16, 2025, 21:48 IST

Bangladesh anti-Sheikh Hasina Protests: Two killed in firing, nine injured; curfew imposed as security forces crack down in Gopalganj.

Soldiers sit atop an APC after armed forces were deployed, following a clash during a Citizen Party rally, in Gopalganj, Bangladesh. (IMAGE: REUTERS)

Violence erupted at a rally of Bangladesh’s youth-led Citizen Party (NCP) in the southern town of Gopalganj on Wednesday, leading to the deaths of four people. The anti-Sheikh Hasina protests rocked the hometown of the Prime Minister-in-exile and her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was Bangladesh’s founding father.

According to news outlet Prothom Alo, the hometown of Bangabandhu, Gopalganj, turned into a virtual battlefield as hundreds of supporters of his daughter, members of the Awami League allegedly clashed with the police ahead of the planned march of student-led NCP to the district.

However, the newspaper citing an unnamed local news reporter highlighted that ordinary people and even former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh ist Party (BNP) joined hands with local Awami League leaders and activists to prevent the NCP.

Yunus squarely blamed Awami League for the violence. “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," he said, blaming Hasina’s political party the Awami League and its student group for Wednesday’s violence.

“This heinous act — allegedly carried out by members of the banned Awami League’s Chhatra League and AL activists — will not go unpunished. The perpetrators must be swiftly identified and held fully accountable. There is no place for such violence against any citizen of Bangladesh," the chief adviser’s office said.

Two of those killed were identified as Dipto Saha, 25, and Ramazan Kazi, 18, according to reports. Both were brought dead to Gopalganj General Hospital with gunshot wounds, while at least nine others were admitted with bullet injuries, doctors said.

The violence prompted the deployment of four extra platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), amounting to nearly 200 personnel, as the authorities vowed strict action against those involved in the clashes.

A 22-hour curfew was imposed in Gopalganj from 8 pm Wednesday, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus’s office said, warning that those behind the attacks would be held accountable.

Dhaka, Bangladesh

News world Bangladesh: 4 Dead, Curfew Imposed After Clashes Rock Sheikh Hasina's Hometown