Leaders and activists of the Awami League, whose activities are banned, marched through Gopalganj on Sunday (15 November) carrying bamboo poles and oars (logi-boitha), machetes, so-called Chinese axes and other home-made weapons. They smashed the July memorial, a police box and the name plaque of Hadi Chattar at Gopalganj Science and Technology University. They replaced the name on the main gate of Gopalganj Government College with a banner bearing its old name, and burned tyres to block roads.
Activists of the Awami League and its associate and affiliated organisations took part in the procession.
From the morning, activists from neighbourhoods across the town and from the unions gathered at the Gabtola crossing in Ghosherchar Uttarpara, Latifpur union, Gopalganj Sadar upazila. Led by Salahuddin Khan, organising secretary of the Gopalganj municipal Awami League, they then marched into the town over the BSCIC bridge.
Separate processions set out from Ghosherchar Dakshinpara, led by Samiul Haque Tonu, a leader of the banned Chhatra League, and from the Miabari and Nabinbagh areas of the town, led by former councillor Alamin.
Smaller groups also entered the town from unions across the upazila, chanting slogans and carrying poles, oars and home-made weapons. The processions converged at the old launch ghat, where those present declared their unity. As the day went on, the marches left the whole town tense.
From the old launch ghat, activists carrying the national flag, sticks, poles and oars, machetes, Chinese axes, fishing spears (teta) and lances went to the party office in Bankpara, chanting slogans demanding that their leader be brought back to the country. There they opened the Awami League office, which had been locked for a long time.
The angry activists then smashed the July memorial and the police box at the Gopalganj launch ghat. They wiped the name off the main gate of Gopalganj Government College and hung a banner reading its old name, “Government Bangabandhu College”. They also broke the name plaque built at Hadi Chattar at Gopalganj Science and Technology University.
The activists then burned tyres to block the Gopalganj-Patgati road at the old launch ghat and in front of the college and the press club. Activists of the banned Chhatra League and Jubo League were seen chanting slogans while standing on a police armoured personnel carrier (APC). A crude bomb exploded in front of the press club. The protesters also wrote slogans on the police APC.
All traffic on the road stopped from 11am until about 1:45pm. Police were seen posted at several points in the town, but took no visible action.
Police officers who were contacted declined to comment.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report