Authorities in Gopalganj, the hometown of Bangladesh’s founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, arrested over 160 people and extended a curfew on Friday following deadly clashes that claimed five lives. The violence erupted Wednesday during a rally by the National Citizen Party (NCP), turning the town, 160 kilometers southwest of Dhaka, into a battleground.

The clashes involved supporters of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, daughter of Rahman, confronting police and NCP members, a student-led group. Four deaths were initially reported, with a fifth victim, Ramjan Munsi, succumbing to bullet wounds at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, according to a local newspaper editor. Police are pursuing hundreds of suspects, with Navy and Coast Guard patrolling rivers to apprehend those involved in attacking officers and torching a police vehicle.

The Bangladesh Army, deployed to quell the unrest, stated it acted in self-defense after “organised acts of violence” targeted a public rally. The Inter-Services Public Relations noted that rioters injured police and journalists while vandalizing government property. Security forces, including the Border Guard Bangladesh and riot police, restored order, but a 22-hour curfew, initially imposed Wednesday, was extended to Saturday morning.

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Residents described an atmosphere of fear as businesses shut and armored vehicles patrolled the streets. A brief curfew relaxation allowed Friday prayers, but military megaphones urged people to stay indoors. Local officials reported that many fled as law enforcement intensified its crackdown.

The NCP, an offshoot of the Students Against Discrimination group that ousted Hasina’s regime on August 5, 2024, held its rally despite a vandalized stage and damaged sound systems. The interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus since August 8, 2024, condemned efforts to block the rally as “absolutely inexcusable,” vowing accountability and denouncing violence as a violation of citizens’ rights.

Hasina, 77, has been in India since her regime’s fall, while Gopalganj, a stronghold of her Awami League, remains tense under heavy security.

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