NCP to skip Gopalganj on ‘July March’ over ‘security concerns’

The National Citizen Party (NCP) will not go to Gopalganj this time as part of its ‘July March’ campaign. Instead, on 16 July, which will be observed as July Martyrs’ Day, the party’s local leaders and activists in Gopalganj will hold prayers and munajat (supplication).

None of the party’s central leaders will attend the programme, with “certain security concerns” cited as the primary consideration.

The NCP is set to launch its month-long ‘July March 2026 for the Implementation of the People’s Mandate, Employment and Border Security’ tomorrow, Monday, as part of its programme marking the second anniversary of the July Mass Uprising.

As was the case last year, the party had initially announced plans to visit Gopalganj on 16 July. However, within an hour of unveiling the month-long itinerary on Saturday evening, it removed the Gopalganj programme from the official schedule.

The NCP announced the roadmap for its July March at a press conference held at Banglamotor in Dhaka on Saturday evening.

Responding to a question, the party’s chief organiser for the northern region, Sarjis Alam, said, “In the first phase, we have already announced party candidates in a number of upazilas and municipalities, including one municipality in Gopalganj. As part of the July March, we are visiting all 64 districts and those 100 upazilas and municipalities.”

The itinerary distributed to journalists after the press conference included the Gopalganj programme for 16 July. The announcement quickly sparked discussion on Facebook.

Within an hour, however, the NCP circulated a revised schedule to the media, with the Gopalganj programme omitted. That decision also prompted considerable debate on social media, both in support of and against the move.

The party, however, did not formally explain the reason behind the change.

Asked about the matter on Sunday afternoon, Sarjis Alam, a member of the party’s top leadership, told Prothom Alo, “On 16 July, the NCP’s senior leaders will be occupied with various programmes in Rangpur, including visiting the grave of martyr Abu Sayed. Moreover, last year’s July March in Gopalganj led to an unfortunate incident. This year, the programme happened to fall on the same date, and there are certain security-related considerations.”

Sarjis said the party would instead observe the day in Gopalganj in a different manner.

“Instead of a march, our local leaders and activists in Gopalganj will hold an organisational discussion along with prayers and munajat. The programme will be held on 16 July, observed as Martyrs’ Day. No central leaders from Dhaka will attend the event there,” he added.

During the first anniversary of the July Mass Uprising in July 2025, the NCP’s senior leaders travelled across the country under the banner ‘July March to Build the Nation’.

Ahead of the party’s planned visit to Gopalganj, several of its leaders promoted the event on Facebook using slogans such as ‘March to Gopalganj’. Tensions surrounding the programme escalated significantly on 16 July, eventually erupting into violence that claimed the lives of four people in Gopalganj.

In the wake of the violence, Section 144 was imposed across Gopalganj, creating a tense atmosphere. Following the unrest, the NCP’s chief organiser for the southern region, Hasnat Abdullah, chief organiser for the northern region, Sarjis Alam, and other senior party leaders were evacuated from Gopalganj with the assistance of the Army, Police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB). Photographs of the leaders boarding an armoured military vehicle later circulated widely on Facebook.

Although the party has dropped its July March programme in Gopalganj this month, it may still visit the district in September.

Speaking to Prothom Alo on Sunday afternoon, Sarwar Tushar, a member of the NCP’s highest policy-making body, the Political Council, said, “The NCP has already announced candidates in 100 upazilas and municipalities, and candidates for the remaining areas will be announced shortly. As part of our local government election campaign, we will visit all the places where we have candidates in September. That will include Gopalganj.”

Another Political Council member, Ali Ahsan Junaed, also told Prothom Alo that the party would soon visit Gopalganj as part of its political programme, although he did not specify a timeframe.