Bangladesh: Yunus forms panel to probe Gopalganj clashes, blames Hasina's party for 'planned attack'

Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has formed a six-member inquiry commission to investigate the recent violent clashes in Gopalganj, alleging that the banned Awami League and its student wing, Bangladesh Chhatra League, orchestrated a premeditated attack on a public gathering of the National Citizens Party (NCP) on July 16.

In a statement issued by the government, Dr. Yunus said the commission was being formed in response to the “deterioration of law and order, attacks on the district prison and government establishments, and disruptions to public safety” during the unrest surrounding the NCP’s scheduled event in the Gopalganj district headquarters.

The commission will be chaired by retired Supreme Court Justice Dr. Md. Abu Tariq, a decorated freedom fighter. Other members include Khandaker Md. Mahbubur Rahman (Additional Secretary, Public Security Division), Md. Saiful Islam (Senior District and Sessions Judge), Brigadier General Shahidur Rahman Osmany (Commander, 21 Infantry Brigade), Sardar Nurul Amin (Additional Inspector General of Police), and Dr. Sajjad Siddiqui (Chair, Department of Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Dhaka).

Formed under Section 3 of the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1956, the panel has been tasked with identifying the causes of the violence, the actors behind it, and recommending legal action. It will also examine the attacks on the prison, other state facilities, and disruptions to public order, as well as suggest measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

The decision follows findings by a preliminary investigation committee that implicated supporters of the outlawed Awami League and its affiliates in what was described as a “planned” assault on NCP members and sympathizers. The violence prompted local authorities to impose Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, followed by a curfew and the deployment of armed forces under In-Aid-to-Civil Power provisions. The crackdown resulted in casualties, although no official figures have been released yet.

Dr. Yunus’s administration has tasked the Public Security Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs with supporting the inquiry commission logistically and financially. The panel is required to submit its findings, along with actionable recommendations, within three weeks.

The Chief Advisor’s move marks a decisive escalation in the government’s response to political unrest, placing blame squarely on former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s banned political network and intensifying scrutiny of its alleged activities despite its proscribed status.