Published : 17 Jul 2025, 01:17 AM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 01:31 PM
Activists of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement have blocked Dhaka’s Shahbagh intersection in protest against attacks on the National Citizen Party’s (NCP) rally and march in Gopalganj.
The blockade began shortly after 5pm on Wednesday, as protesters gathered at the busy intersection, placed bamboo poles across the road, and formed a human chain to stop traffic.
Shouting slogans such as “Why the attack in Gopalganj? Administration must answer!”, the demonstrators brought traffic to a standstill in and around Shahbagh.
The protest follows violence in Gopalganj earlier in the day, where the NCP leaders had travelled as part of a nationwide rally programme.
Chaos erupted in the morning as their motorcade entered the town.
A police vehicle was attacked, triggering a wave of violence that included repeated clashes, arson, and gunfire, turning much of Gopalganj into a battlefield.
Explosions from crude bombs, stun grenades, and tear gas shells rang through the streets.
Most shops shuttered in panic, and movement across the town came to a halt. In response, the district administration imposed Section 144 to ban public gatherings.
Tension had been building since Tuesday, with heavy mobilisation online ahead of the rally.
Violence reportedly began before the NCP convoy could fully enter the town.
Protesters torched a police vehicle, followed by an attack on the Upazila executive officer, or Upazila Nirbahi Officer’s (UNO), car.
Around 1:30pm, men identified by NCP activists as members of banned political group Awami League and its student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League marched to the NCP stage at the municipal park, shouting "Joy Bangla" slogans before launching an assault.
After a short rally, the NCP leaders attempted to leave for Madaripur via Tekerhat under police escort.
But around 2:45pm, as the convoy reached near Gopalganj Government College in the Launch Ghat area, they came under renewed attack.
The motorcade was forced to scatter under pressure.
In response, the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement announced a nationwide blockade in the afternoon. Demonstrators took to the streets in multiple locations, including Shahbagh.
At 5:55pm, the group announced a tactical shift through its official Facebook page, calling on supporters to end the blockade and continue a sit-in by the roadside instead.
NCP leader Sarjis Alam echoed the call in a Facebook post of his own, asking followers to withdraw from the roads and maintain a peaceful presence beside them.
