Journalist and human rights advocate David Bergman has posed two pressing questions to the Bangladesh government regarding its response to the deaths of four men in Gopalganj on July 16—killings for which the army has now admitted responsibility, claiming self-defense.
Bergman points out that exactly a year ago, following the deaths of Abu Sayeed and five others on July 16, 2024, many figures now in the current interim government had demanded an independent inquiry into those killings.
In a Facebook post on his verified Facebook page, he questions why, in-light-of that precedent, this same government has yet to establish an independent investigation into the recent Gopalganj killings.
Bergman also raises concerns about the lack of autopsies for the four men reportedly killed by the army. During the July–August 2024 protests, where security forces were implicated in hundreds of deaths, autopsies were routinely conducted as part of the investigative process. Bergman asks why the standard practice of conducting autopsies has been bypassed in this case.
He also said that he awaits a response from the authorities on both counts, urging transparency and accountability in line with past commitments and established procedures.