Protests demanding justice for slain student leader Sharif Osman Hadi intensified across Bangladesh as Inqilab Moncho announced all-out blockades in divisional cities starting Sunday. Supporters gathered at Shahbagh Square in Dhaka, chanting slogans and blocking traffic. The protests come after Hadi, who was undergoing treatment in Singapore following a gunshot to the head on December 12, succumbed to his injuries.
Activists, including members of Inqilab Moncho, staged sit-ins in Dhaka, Sylhet, Chattogram, and Kushtia, highlighting public outrage over the killing of the student leader.
Protestors Move From Shahbag To Aziz Supermarket
On Saturday, demonstrators briefly moved from Shahbagh to Aziz Supermarket to allow BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman to visit Hadi’s grave near Dhaka University before returning to Shahbagh, paralysing traffic.
Addressing the crowd, Inqilab Moncho Secretary Abdullah Al Jaber warned the protests could escalate to government offices, the parliament, or even military cantonments if authorities failed to act. He criticised the government for inaction, stating that public confidence was eroding, and emphasised the organisation’s strength by recalling its mobilisation during Hadi’s funeral.
Unrest Spreads Beyond Borders
Women, children, and people from cultural and professional backgrounds also joined the demonstrations, reciting poems, Quranic verses, and raising slogans for justice.
Hadi, founder of Inqilab Moncho and a potential candidate for the Dhaka-8 constituency, was a prominent figure in last year’s mass uprising. His death has sparked widespread unrest, including vandalism at Dhaka media offices, while related protests were reported in India following communal killings in Kolkata and Rajbari.
