Gopalganj violence aftermath: Murder cases filed against 5,400 people

Police on Saturday night filed four more cases, bringing murder charges against 5,400 unnamed individuals in connection with the Gopalganj violence last week.

This takes the number of accused in the eight cases filed so far to over 8,400.

The fresh cases have been filed over the deaths of four people, Dipto Saha, Ramzan Kazi, Imon Talukdar, and Sohel Mollah, who died of gunshot wounds while undergoing treatment at Gopalganj Medical College Hospital on Wednesday -- the day of the incident.

All four victims were buried and cremated without post-mortem examinations or any police inquest report.

Earlier, family members of the victims expressed their reluctance to file cases, fearing they would not get justice.

Meanwhile, Gopalganj hospital authorities have denied the allegations of deliberately handing over the bodies without autopsies and claimed that agitated relatives misbehaved with hospital staff and forcibly took the bodies of the victims away before post-mortem examinations could be conducted, according to a press release issued yesterday signed by Dr Jibitesh Biswas, superintendent of Gopalganj General Hospital.

Another person, Ramzan Munshi, shot during the violence, died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital early Friday. His body was buried after an autopsy.

Till Friday, four cases were filed over attacks on law enforcement, vandalism and arson, and alleged anti-state activities.

So far, 321 people have been arrested since Thursday night, when law enforcement agencies launched a series of raids across various parts of the district.

Widespread panic has gripped residents in all five upazilas due to the ongoing police drives, according to local representatives and residents.

"I didn't join any procession; I wasn't involved in anything. Still, I heard that a case has been filed against me. I'm now on the run day and night. I'm even afraid to visit my children," said a resident of Jalirpar union in Muksudpur upazila, requesting anonymity.

A union parishad member from Kashiani upazila said, "At least 25-30 young men in my area have gone into hiding. Some have taken shelter at relatives' homes in other districts. There are allegations that police are conducting nighttime raids and detaining people without warrants."

"I've personally spoken to the administration and requested that no innocent person be harassed. Police say they are only arresting individuals they've identified," he added.

Moniruzzaman Mollah, chairman of Bashbaria union parishad in Muksudpur, said he also went into hiding, fearing he would be arrested because he did Awami League politics. "I'm also in hiding and cannot properly communicate with people in my area. But from what I've heard, most of the young men have fled their homes out of fear of arrest."

Shiplu Munshi, a resident of Bashbaria, said his brother was picked up from home around 8:00pm on Friday. Later, he was shown arrested in a case filed with Kashiani Police Station and produced before a court on Saturday.

"My brother is an ordinary farmer. It's quite a distance from our house to Gopalganj town. My brother didn't even leave the house on that day."

When asked about the growing panic among the public over the police drives, Abdul Based, assistant superintendent of police (Muksudpur circle), said the matter should be addressed by higher authorities.

Gopalganj Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime and Ops) Ruhul Amin Sarkar told this correspondent that he is not overseeing these arrests and therefore could not comment.

Gopalganj Superintendent of Police Md Mizanur Rahman could not be reached for comment despite repeated phone calls, which he declined.

Local BNP leaders yesterday accused police of targeting ordinary citizens and demanded action based on protest footage.

At a press conference in Ghaghor Bazar of Kotalipara upazila, they warned of public resistance if the such arrests continue.

Kotalipara Police Station Officer-in-Charge Abul Kalam Azad denied the allegation and said 30 people were apprehended in the upazila for their links to the clashes.

Home Adviser Lt Gen (retd.) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury yesterday said, "There are no mass arrests. Only those who committed crimes are being arrested."

Meanwhile, 50 individuals arrested in Gopalganj in recent drives were transferred to Pirojpur district jail on Saturday due to a lack of space in Gopalganj district jail.

Till Sunday noon, there were 686 prisoners inside the jail against its capacity of 590.