What is happening in Gopalganj, what will happen?

Opinion

The nationwide NCP’s ‘July Padayatra’ program turned into a ‘March to Gopalganj’ in the case of Gopalganj. But why?

Even before July 16, NCP leaders at various levels have announced on social media to demolish the tomb of the Father of the Nation in Tungipara. Earlier, on February 5, they demolished Bangabandhu Bhaban at 32, Dhanmondi, by making a formal announcement and using government machinery. They will demolish Bangabandhu’s grave from Tungipara in Gopalganj as well, Dr. Yunus has been wishing for this since he seized power. Which they have made clear in various speeches, statements and writings in the last almost a year.

In these cases, the government has not taken any action but has played the role of a patron. As a result, the people of Gopalganj have a deep-rooted belief that the NCP leaders will basically demolish Bangabandhu’s tomb in the name of a public meeting in Gopalganj. To be honest, this was their plan too.

2.
In such a situation, people from all walks of life in Gopalganj have stood up. The people knew that the law enforcement agencies would attack, beat, shoot and even kill them due to the government’s behavior. They took this risk and rushed to protect the tomb of the Father of the Nation. They took to the streets. In exchange for 5 dead bodies and countless injuries and the barbaric torture and oppression that befell all the people of Gopalganj, the tomb of the Father of the Nation was saved.

Even though the tomb of the Father of the Nation was saved, 5 fresh lives were lost. They were killed and martyred by the firing of members of the Bangladesh Army. Although the actual number is still unknown. The number of injured is also countless and almost all of them were shot. There is no way to deny that those who took to the streets to save Bangabandhu’s tomb have no political identity. All of them are ordinary people from a marginal township, hard-working workers, farmers, daily wage laborers. Those who were unarmed, some of them had large rustic sticks, axes, and axes in their hands, which are basically tools to build courage.

In contrast, the army has used sophisticated lethal weapons in an unprecedented manner. Multiple videos and pictures circulated on media and social media clearly show army members firing in response to stones thrown by the angry crowd. They are trying to kill the detained protestor by pressing their boots on his throat and stopping his breathing. Bangladesh has not seen such a heinous attack for many years.

Here I am including the statements of the family members of the murder victims.

Why were they shot dead?: That’s the question asked by relatives of deceased Ramzan and Deeptar

‘There is no one else to save my family’

‘I have no one else to call me mother’

3.
The attack did not end here. While the NCP leaders were being evacuated in an army APC, the army personnel fired incessantly at the eager crowd present on both sides of the road. It was like a scene from a movie. Numerous people were injured in the shooting and 4 died on the spot. Another person died a day later in a hospital in Dhaka. Many of the other gunshot victims are still fighting for their lives, some have left Gopalganj fearing arrest and have been forced to seek treatment in secret.

The police station did not prepare a post-mortem report on any of the bodies of the 4 people who died instantly after being shot. The hospital authorities did not even conduct an autopsy on the instructions of the ‘Upper Mahal’. Here, it is not difficult to understand who and what the ‘Upper Mahal’ is. And why this instruction. As a result, family members were forced to bury and cremate without an autopsy. I saw on social media that the press secretary of the chief advisor gave a false and fabricated explanation in response to the question raised by human rights activist and journalist David Bergman.

It was possible to kill people by shooting them with the army on the highest level of the government’s orders, but the autopsy of the bodies could not be done under the supervision of the army, this is a fictional and unrealistic story, as Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said.

But the surprising thing is that the authorities in the capital have completely denied this reality of Gopalganj. The statement of the chief advisor of the interim government has placed the entire blame on the protesters, all the responsibility has been placed on the people of Gopalganj . This attempt by the state itself to convict all the people of just one district is a match for Hitler.

Meanwhile, it has been announced that an investigation committee will be formed with people who are subordinate to the government. A 3-member committee led by the Home Secretary will investigate the violent incident in Gopalganj. The administration on whose orders the shooting was carried out will conduct the investigation. There is enough reason for people to believe that the report of this investigation committee will basically reflect the statement of the chief advisor. Which will contain words full of complete lies and fabricated stories.

Moreover, the investigation committee has been headed by Nasimul Ghani, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, who is alleged to be associated with a banned and militant organization called Hizb ut Tahrir .

On the same day, the Bangladesh Army also issued a statement stating their position. The Army’s statement on the Gopalganj incident . Where it is mentioned that the people of Gopalganj are ‘terrorists and attackers’ and the army was forced to fire in ‘self-defense’. However, there is no such picture or video where the people attacked the army. This proves that this statement is also nothing but a false and cunning statement.

The statement of the Chief Advisor and the Bangladesh Army did not mention a single word about the killing of 5 people. There was not even a single expression of sympathy or sorrow from anyone else on the part of the government. The people of Bangladesh have not seen such an inhuman state machine for a long time.

4.
After the protests, shootings, murders, injuries, etc. on July 16, a crackdown is underway. A curfew has been imposed in the entire Gopalganj, and men aged 12 to 50 are being arrested under the leadership of the army in house-to-house searches. They are being taken to military camps and subjected to unspeakable torture. The people of Gopalganj are distraught with the fear of arrest and torture. Which can be called mass arrest and mass torture. And since August 5, 2024, the way Awami League supporters and minorities are being targeted and killed is appropriate and legally correct to call it genocide.

This curfew has many similarities to the executions in kangaroo courts during the rule of General Ziaur Rahman. Keeping the entire country and the world in the dark, whatever they want is being done in the dark of night and that is through the application of black law. Ziaur Rahman was a military ruler, and Dr. Yunus was a civilian ruler. But the two have a great similarity in their activities.

Another thing is – the role of civil society and media in Bangladesh is shameful. 5 fresh lives were lost, but all the responsibility was given to the dead, all the responsibility was given to the resisters, all the responsibility is being given to the people of Gopalganj. According to them, if they had cooperated in demolishing Bangabandhu’s grave without any protest or demonstration, it would have been a good decision. Whether Bangladesh really needs such a brain-and-butt-sharing so-called civil society and media remains to be seen for the future.

Final part:
Bangladesh is currently going through a transitional period. Where Awami League workers, supporters and those opposing the Yunus government and government parties are being made murderous in various ways. If they protest against the injustice of the government and government forces, they are being shot dead, and if they do not protest, everything like Bangabandhu Bhaban is being bulldozed. What will be the fate of the people in such a situation is still uncertain. However, it goes without saying that a country and government cannot function like this. The government is clearly pushing the country towards civil war.

Moreover, the spontaneous protest in Gopalganj is essentially the protest of 180 million people of the country. Those who cannot speak with their mouths or write with their pens are represented by the brave people of Gopalganj. The sooner the government realizes this reality, the sooner the country will prosper.

-Ali Shariati Ubach