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Police have initiated four murder cases over the deadly violence surrounding a National Citizen Party rally in Gopalganj.
Each of the cases list 1,400-1,500 unidentified members of the Awami League and its affiliated groups, reports bdnews24.com.
On Sunday, Gopalganj Sadar Police chief Mir Mohammad Sajedur Rahman said the cases were registered late Saturday night.
A fifth murder case is pending following the death of an autorickshaw driver, who succumbed to gunshot wounds in Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Jul 17. Tensions had been escalating in Gopalganj since Tuesday over the NCP’s "July March".
On Wednesday, repeated attacks on the NCP rally event triggered clashes between Awami League activists and members of police and the Army, as the town descended into chaos for nearly five hours.
Four people were killed and more than 50 others injured in the clashes, including at least nine with gunshot wounds.
The four individuals who died on Wednesday were identified as Dipta Saha, 30, son of Santosh Saha from Udayan Road in Gopalganj town; Ramzan Kazi, 17, son of Kamrul Kazi from Harinahati village in Kotalipara; Sohel Rana, 35, of Shanapara in Gopalganj town; and Imon Talukder from Bherar Bazar in Gopalganj Sadar Upazila.
Four of the critically wounded were transferred to DMCH that night. One of them, autorickshaw driver Ramzan Munshi, died on Thursday night.
None of the five victims underwent inquest or autopsy examinations before burial or cremation.
Although the home advisor said that exhumation could be carried out “if necessary”, no clarity was provided on how this would apply in the case of Dipta, who was cremated.
Two other victims of gunshot injuries -- Suman Biswas, 30, and Abbas Ali, 30 -- remain under treatment at DMCH.
According to police, the murder case over the killing of teenager Ramzan was filed by Sub-Inspector Ayub Hossain of Gopalganj Sadar Police Station.
The case statement said that NCP activists, after peacefully concluding their midday rally at the municipal park, began their motorcade journey towards Madaripur.
As they reached the vicinity of SK Salehia Madrasa, a group of 1,400 to 1,500 individuals, allegedly comprising Awami League leaders, affiliated activists and other attackers, launched an assault using traditional weapons and firearms, it added.
When police and Army personnel attempted to intervene, the assailants reportedly fired upon them.
Amid the gunfire, Ramzan was shot and severely wounded. He was taken to Gopalganj General Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.
The three other murder cases followed a similar pattern in terms of narrative and the number of suspects.
Sub-Inspector Shamim Hossain is the complainant in the case over Dipta’s killing. The first information report (FIR) said that around 2:30pm on Wednesday, Awami League activists and others opened fire on the police and the Army.
Dipta was seriously injured in front of Milan Pharmacy, near the College Mosque, and was declared dead upon arrival at the hospital, it added.
Sub-Inspector Abul Kalam Azad filed the case over Sohel’s death, alleging he was shot by Awami League activists and their associates near the launch terminal and later died at the hospital.
The last case, filed by Sub-Inspector Sheikh Mizanur Rahman, said that Imon Talukder (17) was shot and killed in front of the old Sonali Bank building, also near the launch terminal, by individuals linked to the Awami League.