Authorities extend Gopalganj curfew until Saturday morning

The restriction will remain in place until 6am on Saturday

Authorities have extended the ongoing curfew in Gopalganj until Saturday morning after the town was roiled by widespread violence surrounding a National Citizen Party rally.

In a statement issued on Friday, the Gopalganj district magistrate said the ongoing curfew will remain in effect until 6am on Saturday.

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”.

The event triggered a violent response from Awami League activists, culminating in running battles 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 Army armoured 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.