BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday, July 16, strongly condemned the violent attack on the National Citizen Party’s (NCP) scheduled ‘March to Gopalganj’ programme, calling it a heinous act orchestrated by “terrorists of the fallen Awami fascist regime.” In a strongly worded statement, Fakhrul expressed grave concern over the incident, demanding the immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of those involved. “Following the fall of the autocratic Awami League government through a student-led mass uprising, miscreants backed by the ousted regime are once again surfacing to destabilise the country for their own gain,” he said. Describing the attack—which included crude bomb explosions, arson of vehicles including those of the UNO and police, and injuries to law enforcement—as a deliberate attempt to plunge the country into chaos, Fakhrul warned that such acts are part of a broader conspiracy to challenge the authority of the interim government. “The alarming deterioration in law and order has emboldened the remnants of the Awami League. Their violent return aims to create unrest and sabotage the path toward democratic transition,” Fakhrul added. “There is no alternative but to crush these elements with an iron hand.” The BNP leader called on people of all political affiliations and social classes to unite in defending democracy, safeguarding voting rights, protecting public life and property, and ensuring that fascism does not return in any form. “If these miscreants are not swiftly brought to justice, the nation’s independence and sovereignty will once again be under threat,” he warned. Fakhrul concluded by wishing a speedy recovery to the injured police personnel and reiterated his demand for prompt, decisive action against the attackers.

Chief Adviser's Press Wing has claimed that the key pro-Awami League (AL) figures circulated false narratives surrounding violent clashes erupted in Gopalganj by posting multiple old and unrelated images in social media platforms. "On July 16, social media platforms saw a wave of posts from accounts affiliated with the banned Awami League (AL), aimed at shaping the narrative surrounding violent clashes that erupted in Gopalganj earlier in the day," the press wing said in a statement on Wednesday. The statement was shared at the press wing's verified Facebook page - CA Press Wing Facts. It said a coordinated propaganda effort involving key pro-AL figures circulated multiple old and unrelated images, falsely claiming they depicted scenes from the day’s unrest. Key figures including former Chhatra League leader S.M. Jakir Hossain and ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s former press aide Ashraful Alam Khokan posted images alleging that the “Yunus gang” and opposition activists were violently attacking civilians, according to the statement.  One image depicted a wounded teenager being carried by locals as fires blazed in the background, with agitated crowds protesting in the street. The photo was presented as visual evidence of the brutality unfolding in Gopalganj. "However, reverse image searches confirmed that this particular image was from an earlier incident that took place on August 10, 2024," the statement read.  In another widely shared post, Jakir Hossain and Ashraful Alam Khokan —former Deputy Press Secretary to deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina — posted a photo of a Detective Branch (DB) officer firing live rounds toward demonstrators.  The posts falsely suggested that the image depicted today’s law enforcement response to violence allegedly triggered by NCP members, the statement said.  "In reality, the image is from a completely separate incident that occurred on December 8, 2022, during a BNP rally in Narayanganj. The officer shown in the photo, DB official Kanak, was seen firing into the crowd during that event." Jakir Hossain also posted another image, this time showing severely injured individuals being treated in a hospital. That photo was also shared with the claim that the injuries were sustained during today's clashes in Gopalganj. "However, this photo too was unrelated. It was actually taken on March 20, 2023, during a completely different incident," the press wing claimed.  As part of the same disinformation campaign, a photo of a child holding a stick was circulated widely, with claims that it was taken in Gopalganj on July 16 and showed a minor involved in violent protest.  The image was used to suggest that children were being mobilised for political violence. Notably, a digitally enhanced version of the photo—apparently AI-generated—was shared by Nijhum Majumder, an active online propagandist affiliated with the Awami League, according to the statement.  "Contrary to the claims, the photo of the stick-wielding child was not taken in Gopalganj, nor was it from July 16. It was actually a screenshot taken from a video recorded in the Safipur area of Gazipur. The original footage had already been circulating on social media since August 2023," it said.  In addition to these misleading images, pro-AL accounts also spread baseless claims that the Bangladesh Army had opened fire indiscriminately on civilians.  These narratives aimed to falsely shift public opinion. However, reports from the ground and verified sources tell a different story, according to the press wing.  Today’s violence in Gopalganj erupted after Awami League and Chhatra League supporters attacked the convoy of National Citizen Party (NCP) central leaders as they were leaving the town following a scheduled rally.  The attacks quickly escalated into chaos involving intense clashes between law enforcement and AL-affiliated groups.  According to the media reports,  a police vehicle and a vehicle belonging to the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) were both attacked and set on fire.  As the situation spiraled out of control, a strict curfew was imposed in Gopalganj from 8 pm on July 16 to 6 pm the following day.  "Despite the real events on the ground, the pro-Awami League social media ecosystem attempted to flood timelines with misleading, out-of-context, and deliberately manipulated images," the statement read. 

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer suspended several lawmakers on Wednesday as he tried to reassert his authority over his ruling Labour party following a rebellion over welfare reforms. Starmer was forced to backtrack on plans to slash disability and sickness benefits earlier this month after dozens of his own MPs threatened to vote against the proposals. MPs Brian Leishman, Neil Duncan-Jordan, and Rachael Maskell said they had been suspended while the Times newspaper reported that Chris Hinchliff had suffered the same fate. All four voted against the welfare reforms on July 1 after Starmer made his authority-sapping climbdown to avoid a humiliating defeat in parliament. Leishman's office confirmed to AFP that the Scottish MP had been temporarily suspended from the party. Duncan-Jordan, the representative for Poole in southern England, said he understood that voting against the government "could come at a cost, but I couldn't support making disabled people poorer". Starmer has endured a difficult first year in power and has made several damaging U-turns in recent weeks. Political scientist Steven Fielding said the purge was a bid by Starmer to reinforce party discipline. "He wants to send a signal to all the others that rebelled over the welfare bill and have rebelled on other things that, 'Okay, you've got away with this one, but if you keep going, this is going to be your fate,'" Fielding told AFP. But the University of Nottingham politics professor added it was a risky strategy considering the large numbers of lawmakers who had opposed the welfare reforms. "I think he's going about it in the wrong way. He needs to talk (to) and understand why the MPs are doing this," Fielding told AFP. Labour did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Starmer's popularity has plummeted since he won a landslide general election result in July last year, ending 14 consecutive years of Conservative rule. Labour now trails Eurosceptic Nigel Farage's hard-right Reform UK party in many national polls, although the next election is likely four years away. In June, the government reversed a policy to scrap a winter heating benefit for millions of pensioners, following widespread criticism and another rebellion from its own MPs. The same month, Starmer -- a former chief state prosecutor in England and Wales -- announced a national inquiry focused on a UK child sex exploitation scandal after previously resisting calls. The prime minister has a massive majority of about 160 MPs, meaning he should be able to force whatever legislation he wants through parliament. But some in the party complain of a disconnect between Starmer's leadership, which is focused on combatting the rise of Reform, and Labour's traditional centre-left principles. Confirming she had been suspended, Maskell urged Starmer to engage with his backbenchers, saying she wanted to see "bridges built" and this would "make him a better prime minister".