Aminul Hoque
Security Analyst and Former Diplomat
On July 16, 2025, the people of Gopalganj, Bangladesh, were not just attacked — they were betrayed. In a scene horrifyingly reminiscent of March 25, 1971, a uniformed force unleashed terror on its own citizens. But this time, it wasn’t a foreign occupation army. It was Bangladesh’s own.
In what many are now calling a state-sponsored massacre, the Bangladesh Army — alongside other law enforcement units — opened fire on unarmed civilians protesting a provocative political event by the government-backed Kings Party (NCP). And in the aftermath, the military’s official Facebook page posted a press release that tried to whitewash the carnage.
It backfired spectacularly.
Within hours, over ten thousand furious comments flooded the post. Nearly 99% condemned the army. They weren’t just angry — they were heartbroken, humiliated, and unforgiving.
Here is what Bangladeshis themselves had to say:
“You are no longer protectors. You’re a killer force.”
— Comment #1
“Don’t ever dare call yourselves the sons of the soil again. You’re just protocol guards for a corrupt party.”
— Comment #2
“You killed 7 or 8 people — what of it? Not a single word about them. The love and respect we had for you is dead.”
— Comment #3
“Should we believe what you wrote, or the videos of boots stomping on our youth? You call this ‘rumour’? Feels like you’re now run by extremists.”
— Comment #4
“The whole world saw your boots crushing a bleeding man. Say something about that. We dare you.”
— Comment #5
“You’ve lost the people. You’re no longer our army. You’re their private goon squad.”
— Comment #9
“Shameless. Cowardly. A third-class army without integrity or soul.”
— Comment #10
“You answered brickbats with rifles. Four confirmed dead. Local reports say more than nine. And you protected a party that’s not even registered?”
— Comment #11
“If sanctions ever come against this army for killing civilians, you’ll be directing traffic instead of commanding battalions.”
— Comment #12
“March to Gopalganj? You mean a march to provoke violence. And you stood with them, the instigators.”
— Comment #13
“Maybe take over garbage collection in Dhaka instead — at least then you’d serve the people for once.”
— Comment #14
“NCP is your secret wing now? You murdered unarmed youth for their political interests.”
— Comment #15
“You’re not defending the country’s sovereignty. You’re acting like personal bodyguards to a children’s party.”
— Comment #16
“Frauds. Bastards in boots.”
— Comments #17–19
“This is a political post. The nation hopes you stop pretending to be patriots and actually become one.”
— Comment #20
What the Army Did — And What It Didn’t Say
Not a single death was mentioned in the army’s statement. Not a single injury. As if no one had died. As if no mother buried her son. As if the bloodstains on Gopalganj streets were imaginary.
But the internet does not lie.
Footage shows civilians — not a single one armed — being shot at close range. A young man, visibly injured and crawling, was stomped on by a soldier’s boot. Later that night, the army and law enforcement imposed a communications blackout, turned off electricity, and terrorized homes. Children and the elderly were beaten. Families were denied the right to bury their dead with dignity. No autopsies. No accountability. Just rapid, guarded burials under the shadow of rifles.
And through it all — silence from the generals.
Why Gopalganj Protested
The protest wasn’t random. The Kings Party, backed by the unelected interim regime, organized a rally under heavy state protection. Its mission: provoke. They openly threatened to desecrate the tomb of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman — the Father of the Nation — and called their rally “March to Gopalganj.” What followed was resistance from local citizens, many of them non-partisan but outraged at the insult to their hometown and national pride.
The people protested. The army responded — not with restraint, but with deadly force.
The Fall of the Army’s Legitimacy
This isn’t just about one operation gone wrong. This is about an institution losing its soul. Once respected for its discipline and nationalism, the Bangladesh Army is now seen by many as a political militia, shielding a failing regime and silencing dissent with bullets.
Even those who once supported the army are now voicing shame and betrayal. The press release was meant to project control — but it revealed the rot.
General Waker Uz Zaman, the current Army Chief, had pledged to protect lives. His silence now confirms complicity. Many believe he is not merely negligent — but a co-architect of this brutal suppression.
A Warning from History
The betrayal echoes dark chapters of the past. In 1757, Mir Jafar’s treachery at Palashi led to centuries of colonial rule. Now, Bangladesh teeters at the edge again — with its own army playing the traitor’s role.
July 16 will be remembered as a day when the army — once hailed as a guardian — became an oppressor.
