Leaders and activists from the Inqilab Moncho group are currently staging a sit-in outside Jamuna, the chief adviser’s official residence, to demand an impartial investigation overseen by the United Nations into the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi.
The demonstration commenced at approximately 3:30 pm and was ongoing at the time of this report, which was filed at 9:30 pm. Eyewitnesses reported that initially, eight to ten members of Inqilab Moncho initiated the protest, including Member Secretary Abdullah Al Jaber, Fatima Tasnim Zuma, the Liberation War and Democratic Movements Affairs Secretary of Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (Ducsu), and Hadi’s wife, Rabaya Islam Shampa.
The protesters set a deadline, stipulating that their demands must be addressed within one hour. Jaber informed the media during the sit-in that they deliberately kept the number of participants limited due to potential security risks.
“We deliberately chose to have a small group here. We are standing by with Shaheed Osman Hadi’s wife until we receive assurances from the chief adviser,” Jaber stated. He emphasized that they would not disperse until they were given a concrete commitment to justice.
Subsequently, over 100 individuals were observed partaking in another sit-in outside InterContinental Dhaka in the evening, engaging in chants and slogans. The presence of barricades by the police at the entry points of the road caused disruptions to vehicular traffic in the vicinity.
Ashraful Alam Hannan, a 27-year-old activist affiliated with Inqilab Moncho, expressed to The Daily Star their collective motive to seek justice for Hadi. Hannan criticized the authorities for the ongoing fugitive status of the alleged perpetrators in Hadi’s murder.
In response to inquiries, Mazharul Islam, the assistant commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (Ramna Zone), confirmed that the leaders and activists associated with Inqilab Moncho had divided into two factions, each conducting sit-ins at different locations. He assured that the police were on high alert.
Hadi, who served as the spokesperson for Inqilab Moncho, was gunned down in Dhaka’s Paltan area on December 12 last year. Tragically, he passed away on December 18 while receiving medical treatment in Singapore.
