Published : 19 Jul 2025, 04:57 PM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 01:32 PM
The curfew imposed in Gopalganj in the wake of widespread clashes and violence surrounding a National Citizen Party rally has been eased for 14 hours.
On Friday night, Gopalganj Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate Muhammad Kamruzzaman announced that the curfew would be relaxed from 6am to 8pm on Saturday.
Future decisions about the curfew would be made in consultation with law-enforcing agencies and based on the overall situation in Gopalganj, the deputy commissioner's office said in a statement.
On Wednesday, Gopalganj turned into a battleground after NCP leaders and activists arrived in town for a rally as part of the party's ongoing “July March” programme.
The event triggered a violent response from Awami League activists, culminating in a series of back-and-forth chases and clashes between protesters and law enforcers.
Four people died during the five-hour clashes, with another person succumbing to gunshot wounds in a Dhaka hospital on Thursday night.
NCP leaders, who had taken shelter at the district superintendent of police’s office during the violence, were later escorted out of the town in armoured Army vehicles.
The interim government initially imposed a curfew from 8pm Wednesday to 6pm Thursday, but later extended the restrictions indefinitely.
The home ministry announced that the curfew would remain in effect until further notice, with a three-hour break from 11am-2pm on Friday.
On Friday evening, authorities extended the curfew until 6am on Saturday.
