Latest news with #NahidIslam
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First Post
17-07-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Bangladesh in turmoil: Conflicting claims put army's role under scrutiny after deadly Gopalganj clashes
Chaos ensued in Bangladesh's Gopalganj with different political groups clashing with each other in former PM Sheikh Hasina's hometown. However, there are conflicting claims on what exactly happened with the Army's role under major scrutiny. read more Chaos ensued in Bangladesh's Gopalganj with different political groups clashing with each other in former PM Sheikh Hasina's hometown. Facebook - Movement For Bangladesh / Reuters On Wednesday, chaos ensued in former Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina's home in Gopalganj, with two conflicting stories on what actually happened. While Bangladeshi media reported that four people were killed in the clashes, human rights groups and workers of Hasina's party, Awami League, claimed that the death toll is nearly 21. It all happened when Nahid Islam's National Citizens Party (NCP) conducted a rally in Gopalgunj on Wednesday afternoon. As per Bangladeshi news outlets and NCP, the party's convoy was attacked at 2:30 pm (local time). STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, the opposition argued that 'goons' from the NCP were creating a ruckus, and the residents only resisted. However, one thing that garnered attention in the whole ordeal was the army's intervention. While some called it important, others accused the Bangladeshi army of being biased. Here's a look at what the two sides are saying. Awami League worker accuses NCP and Jamaat of police brutality While speaking to Firstpost about the Wednesday incident, an Awami League worker, who asked to remain anonymous, narrated the police brutality amid the chaos, he claimed was started by NCP workers. During the conversation, the Awami League worker frequently referred to NCP as ' Jamaat-e-Islami's B-Team'. 'Around 23-24 people were killed. They were professional killers, contract killers. NCP is Jamaat's B-Team; even people from Jamaat were there. Some of them wore police uniforms,' an anguished Awami League worker told Firstpost. 'They are radicals; they intended to kill people. If this continues, it will lead to civil war,' he added. The party worker also shared multiple videos of police brutality, which he claimed were taking place in Gopalganj. However, Firstpost was unable to independently verify whether the videos were from the Wednesday incident and hence refrained from sharing them. 'They came here to kill people. There were many personnel at the rally, many soldiers from the army and 200 police officers. If things remain the same, people might retaliate, and this can cause further problems in the future,' the Awami League party worker exclaimed. A similar assertion was made by a group called the International Crimes Research Foundation (ICRF), which even flagged the Gopalganj incident in a letter to the United Nations Ethics Office. In the letter to the UN Ethical Office, ICRF argued that NCP leaders marched into Gopalganj with thousands of their followers, and the objective of the rally was to desecrate and demolish the graveyard of Bangladesh's Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'On 16 July 2025, a political group known as the Nationalist Citizens Party (NCP), which is neither registered with the Election Commission nor holds any legal status as an Electoral Political Party, marched into Gopalganj with thousands of its followers,' ICRF said in a letter to the UN. 'Their reported objective was to desecrate and demolish the graveyard of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman- a sacred and symbolic national site that holds profound emotional, historical, and political significance for our people,' the letter furthered. The ICRF noted that while the residents resisted the party workers, the Bangladesh Army deployed forces in support of the NCP. The group accused the country's army of using lethal weapons to open fire on 'unarmed civilians'. ICRF went on to demand an independent international investigation into the Gopalganj crisis. The group also urged the UN to hold the Bangladesh Army accountable under international law for any violations of human rights, including extrajudicial killings and torture. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What NCP and Bangladeshi authorities are saying However, the Bangladeshi media and the ruling regime painted a different picture of what went down on Wednesday afternoon. Multiple Bangladeshi news outlets reported that it was the NCP rally that was attacked in Gopalganj and not the other way around. NCP Convener Nahid Islam demanded the arrest of the culprits at a press conference in Kulna. He claimed that the attacks were carried out to kill him, The Daily Star reported. 'After concluding our rally in Gopalganj, we were heading towards Madaripur when armed goons of the Awami League attacked our motorcade,' Nahid said. Meanwhile, Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus's press wing condemned the 'utterly indefensible' attack on leaders and activists of the NCP and said it will not go unpunished. Political parties, including BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, also condemned the attack. However, one whole day has passed, and the authorities maintain that only 4 people were killed in the clashes, which many human rights groups have been calling an underestimation.
India.com
17-07-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Bangladesh: 4 Killed In Gopalganj As NCP Rally Triggers Violent Clashes With Awami League supporters; Curfew Imposed
At least four people were killed and dozens injured in violent clashes between law enforcement personnel and Awami League (AL) supporters in Gopalganj on Wednesday, following tensions over a rally by the National Citizen Party (NCP), The Daily Star reported. The violence broke out in the wake of a pre-scheduled NCP rally at Poura Park in Gopalganj town, which was opposed by AL supporters despite a recent government ban on all political activities of the Awami League. According to The Daily Star, hundreds of AL activists blocked the Gopalganj-Tekerhat road in the Ulpur area early on Wednesday by felling trees. Protesters also set fire to a government vehicle and vandalised another before storming the NCP rally venue. Clashes intensified after NCP leaders left the rally and were reportedly attacked by AL supporters near Chowrangi. At least four people were killed and several others sustained injuries as confrontations spread across different parts of the district, the Daily Star in its report added. In response, the government imposed a curfew from 8:00 pm on Wednesday to 6:00 pm on Thursday to bring the situation under control. Authorities also postponed the ongoing HSC, Alim, and HSC (Vocational) exams in Gopalganj, with notices issued by respective education boards around 10:30 pm. Eyewitnesses claimed that police opened fire on demonstrators in some areas. A grocer in Chowrangi said he saw two people collapse as security forces fired shots to disperse the crowd. One of the victims, Dipto, was reportedly on his way to his shop when he was shot in the abdomen, The Daily Star reported. Speaking at a press conference in Khulna, NCP Convener Nahid Islam said, "After concluding our rally in Gopalganj, we were heading towards Madaripur when armed goons of the Awami League attacked our motorcade." Despite the attack, the party plans to go ahead with its rally in Faridpur today, The Daily Star quoted him as saying. Before the rally began, 200-300 armed individuals stormed the venue, tore down banners, and exploded crude bombs, forcing police officers to retreat temporarily. NCP leaders, including Nahid Islam and Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain, later arrived and helped push back the attackers with police support. The Chief Adviser's Press Wing strongly condemned the attack on NCP members, describing it as "utterly indefensible" and assuring that those responsible would be punished. Other political parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami, also condemned the violence, according to The Daily Star.
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Business Standard
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
4 killed in Bangladesh's Gopalganj as NCP rally triggers violent clashes
At least four people were killed and dozens injured in violent clashes between law enforcement personnel and Awami League (AL) supporters in Gopalganj on Wednesday, following tensions over a rally by the National Citizen Party (NCP), The Daily Star reported. The violence broke out in the wake of a pre-scheduled NCP rally at Poura Park in Gopalganj town, which was opposed by AL supporters despite a recent government ban on all political activities of the Awami League. According to The Daily Star, hundreds of AL activists blocked the Gopalganj-Tekerhat road in the Ulpur area early on Wednesday by felling trees. Protesters also set fire to a government vehicle and vandalised another before storming the NCP rally venue. Clashes intensified after NCP leaders left the rally and were reportedly attacked by AL supporters near Chowrangi. At least four people were killed and several others sustained injuries as confrontations spread across different parts of the district, the Daily Star in its report added. In response, the government imposed a curfew from 8:00 pm on Wednesday to 6:00 pm on Thursday to bring the situation under control. Authorities also postponed the ongoing HSC, Alim, and HSC (Vocational) exams in Gopalganj, with notices issued by respective education boards around 10:30 pm. Eyewitnesses claimed that police opened fire on demonstrators in some areas. A grocer in Chowrangi said he saw two people collapse as security forces fired shots to disperse the crowd. One of the victims, Dipto, was reportedly on his way to his shop when he was shot in the abdomen, The Daily Star reported. Speaking at a press conference in Khulna, NCP Convener Nahid Islam said, "After concluding our rally in Gopalganj, we were heading towards Madaripur when armed goons of the Awami League attacked our motorcade." Despite the attack, the party plans to go ahead with its rally in Faridpur today, The Daily Star quoted him as saying. Before the rally began, 200-300 armed individuals stormed the venue, tore down banners, and exploded crude bombs, forcing police officers to retreat temporarily. NCP leaders, including Nahid Islam and Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain, later arrived and helped push back the attackers with police support. The Chief Adviser's Press Wing strongly condemned the attack on NCP members, describing it as "utterly indefensible" and assuring that those responsible would be punished. Other political parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami, also condemned the violence, according to The Daily Star. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bangladesh student leader fears uprising gains at risk
A key Bangladeshi party leader at the forefront of the revolt that ousted premier Sheikh Hasina warned on Saturday an army-backed leadership could replace the interim government. Nahid Islam, leader of the National Citizen Party (NCP) made up of many students who spearheaded the uprising that ended Hasina's 15-year iron-fisted rule last year, said he worried about an "anti-democratic" future. Muhammad Yunus, the 84-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner leading the caretaker government until elections are held, has called for rival political parties jostling for power to give him their full support. Bangladesh has a long history of coups, and the army retains a powerful role. Islam, an ally of Yunus who previously served in his cabinet, told reporters on Saturday that he foresaw a situation similar to January 11, 2007, when a state of emergency was declared resulting in a two-year-long military-backed government. "There are indications that a 1/11-style military-backed government could re-emerge -- one that is anti-democratic and anti-people," Islam said. - 'Should not interfere' - Bangladesh's political crisis escalated this week as rival parties protested with competing demands. Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman said this week elections should be held by December, Dhaka's newspapers reported, aligning with the demands of the powerful Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). But Islam said that the military's role was "to ensure national security", and not to get involved in politics. "While the military is an essential institution for state security, it should not interfere in political affairs," he said. Yunus has said elections could come as early as December but holding them later -- at the latest by June 2026 -- would allow more time for democratic reforms he says are needed. Islam said it was for those reforms that students launched their protests last year, but that Yunus told him during a meeting on Thursday that the pressure put on him had frustrated him. "He assumed office to bring about fundamental change. People expect to see trials, reforms, and a peaceful transition of power. Under the current circumstances, he feels he cannot deliver to those expectations," Islam said. "There is a real fear that elections may not be free and fair but instead heavily restricted." sa/pjm/dhw
Mint
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Muhammad Yunus ‘thinking about' resigning as Bangladesh interim govt chief: ‘Feels somewhat embarrassed'
Bangladesh's interim leader Muhammad Yunus reportedly threatened to resign if parties do not give him their backing, a political ally and sources in his office said Thursday. Rumors about the chief adviser's possible resignation had been circulating on social media since Thursday afternoon. Nahid Islam, leader of the National Citizen Party, confirmed that Yunus was "thinking about resigning." He held a private conversation with the chief adviser amid the rumours, sources told Dhaka Tribune. "We have been hearing news of sir's resignation regarding the current situation in the country since this morning. So, I went to meet sir to discuss that matter," Nahid Islam told BBC Bangla. "He says he's thinking about it. He feels like the situation is such that he won't be able to work," Nahid said. Nahid Islam — who had initially been part of Yunus's cabinet before resigning to form a political party — reportedly 'urged him to remain in office.' It was also learned that the chief adviser sought cooperation from all parties. Yunus expressed discontent about relentless protests over myriad demands, Bangladesh-based Daily Star reported. Muhammad Yunus, the 84-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner who leads the caretaker government as its chief advisor until elections, told his cabinet he wanted to quit if political parties did not give him their full support, a source inside his office. Meanwhile, a source told Dhaka Tribune, 'The chief adviser feels somewhat embarrassed due to the continuous agitation on various issues recently. He does not want to remain in office if he cannot work independently. This situation was discussed during the meeting.' Nahid also quoted Yunus as saying, 'I cannot work like this. The political parties cannot reach a common ground.' Yunus's reported threat to stand down comes a day after thousands of supporters of the powerful Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) rallied in Dhaka, holding large-scale protests against the interim government for the first time. The BNP, on Thursday, reportedly issued a stark warning that it may be forced to reconsider its cooperation with Yunus' interim government if a specific roadmap for holding the next general election within December next is not announced immediately. Elections, whenever held, will end Yunus' term as the Chief Adviser to the interim government of Bangladesh.
