Nahid orders to remove blockades as NCP launches protests across country over Gopalganj attacks
He has directed the protesters to stay on one side of the roads
National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam has called on all to lift the blockades on highways and streets of Dhaka and other cities enforced in protest against the attacks carried out by supporters of the banned Awami League on the NCP's rally venue and the convoy of its leaders in Gopalganj
In a post on NCP's official Facebook page at 5:46pm, Nahid also instructed protesters to remain on one side of the roads to minimise public inconvenience.
"The fight will go on," he said in the post.
Nahid issued the directive in response to NCP supporters blocking highways across the country in protest of the attack in Gopalganj.
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Earlier in the afternoon, the NCP leaders and activists blocked the capital's Shahbag intersection around 5pm. Later, they withdrew the blockade following Nahid's directive.
NCP supporters also blocked the Dhaka-Aricha and Dhaka-Chattogram highways. Similar road blockades were reported in several districts, including Munshiganj, Sylhet Satkhira, Rajshahi, Bagerhat and Barishal, in protest of the attack on the NCP convoy in Gopalganj.
In Chattogram, protests erupted on the streets protesting the attack on the convoy of central leaders of the National Citizens Party (NCP) in Gopalganj.
Leaders and activists from the NCP, the Democratic Students' Union, and the Students Against Discrimination (SAD) gathered and blocked the road in the city's Gate No. 2 area around 5:30pm.
Protesters chanted various slogans condemning the attack and demanding justice.
The demonstration was led by Democratic Students' Union central joint convener Khan Talat Mahmud Rafi, Rizaur Rahman, NCP central member Jobairul Manik, and SAD leader Arif Moinuddin.
Earlier in the day, the activists of banned Awami League and Chhatra League attacked the convoy of the National Citizen Party (NCP) leaders after their rally in the district.
The local administration has imposed Section 144 in Gopalganj due to the escalating unrest.
To regain control of the situation, police and army personnel, along with four platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), were deployed across the city.
Later in the evening, the government imposed a curfew in Gopalganj from 8pm tonight (16 July) until 6pm tomorrow (17 July), following violent clashes between banned Awami League (AL) supporters and law enforcers.
Meanwhile, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman condemned the Gopalganj attack and urged the government to take necessary steps to ensure the safety of the NCP leaders.
