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In Gopalganj, the army car was set on fire, and the procession took away weapons
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Gopalganj
Published: 10 August 2024, 20:45
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Army vehicle set on fire by protesters Photo: Taken from video
Demonstrators attacked an army vehicle in Gopalganj during a protest march against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s ‘forcing her to leave the country’. At this time, a soldier’s weapon was taken away and marched.
This incident took place near Gopinathpur bus stand of Gopinathpur Union of Sadar Upazila around 3:30 pm today. It is said that seven people including five army personnel were injured in this incident. At that time, two journalists were beaten and assaulted while trying to take pictures. They are Channel 24’s Gopalganj representative Badal Saha and Machranga Television district representative Sabbath Ahmed.
According to local sources, Awami League organized a protest march at Gopinathpur bus stand area of Dhaka-Khulna highway at around 3 o’clock to demand Sheikh Hasina’s return to the country. Leaders and workers of Awami League and affiliated organizations of Gopinathpur and Jalalabad Union of Sadar Upazila and Nizamkandi Union of Kashiani Upazila participated in the program.
In Gopalganj, the army car was set on fire :
Some eyewitnesses said that around three o’clock in the afternoon, the leaders and workers of the three unions gathered at the Gopinathpur bus stand area with a procession. They blocked the Dhaka-Khulna highway and started protesting. Cars on both sides of the highway were stuck. When the army personnel working in Gopalganj went to the spot after receiving the news, the protestors chanted ‘fake, fake’. At one point, they got into a verbal argument with the soldiers. Later, the protestors got angry and started beating the army personnel, who tried to bring the situation under control by firing blank rounds. The army personnel ran and took shelter in a nearby house after being attacked by the protestors. At that time, the protestors snatched a weapon from an army member and set fire to an army vehicle.
After the incident, protesters marched with confiscated weapons. The protesters later submitted the weapon to the Gopinathpur police investigation center. But when they refused to take the weapon, it was handed over to Lacchu Sharif, former chairman of Gopinathpur UP.
Lacchu Sharif told Daily Star News that the protesters handed over the weapon to him. He has already informed the army about the weapons. They said that they are coming to get weapons. He asked him (Lacchu) to keep the weapon with him till his arrival.
When asked to know, Army Major Atiqur Rahman Road, who is on duty in Gopalganj, said over the phone that detailed information will be provided later.
