Golam Rabbani, Gopalganj

Even though the three-day-long curfew has been relaxed, deep concern and fear of arrest still persist among the general public in Gopalganj. 

On Saturday (19 July), the curfew was partially lifted from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM. However, the city’s environment shows no sign of normalcy; rather, people are spending their days in fear and uncertainty.

Fresh tension arose Friday night (18 July) due to a series of raids carried out by joint forces across various parts of the district. It is known that three cases have already been filed in connection with several incidents surrounding the NCP's program. The same kind of alertness and anxiety prevails in all five upazilas of the district.

Vehicles on Roads, Yet No Passengers : 

Although vehicular movement began on city roads since morning, the presence of people was relatively low. Being a weekend, most shops remained closed, although a few essential goods stores were seen open. The usual hustle and bustle was absent from the streets.

Strict security measures were noticed in front of the District Commissioner’s office. Barricades were placed, and armed police personnel were deployed. Police vehicles conducted regular patrols on different city roads. However, instead of reassuring the public, these patrols seem to be intensifying their fear.

‘I Came Out for the Sake of My need : 

Driven by the need to earn a livelihood, people from the day laborer class have come out of their homes. But there are hardly any passengers or buyers on the streets.

Rickshaw puller Jumman Ali said, “Income was shut down due to the curfew over the past two days. I came out today hoping for some relief, but there are no people on the streets. If this situation continues, it will become impossible to sustain my family.”

Auto-rickshaw driver Selim said, “I only came out so the battery of my vehicle doesn’t die. There are no passengers, no income. Still, I’m trying.”

Innocent people in Fear : 

Many ordinary citizens, on condition of anonymity, have stated, “Let action be taken against those involved in violence as per the law. But why should innocent people live in fear? Even without doing anything wrong, we’re afraid to leave our homes.”

Curfew declaration and silence from administration : 

On 16 July at 8:00 PM, a curfew was imposed across the district. In an order signed by the District Magistrate on 18 July afternoon, it was directed that the curfew would remain in place until 6:00 AM on 19 July. Later that night, a text message sent by the Additional District Magistrate informed that the curfew would be relaxed from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM on 19 July.

However, the district administration or the police department has yet to make any official statement regarding the overall situation in the district. No information has been released by the administration about how many people have been arrested in the past 12 hours.