Protesters block key Dhaka junction seeking justice for Hadi's killing

Dhaka/New Delhi, Dec 26 (PTI) Bangladesh's slain radical leader Sharif Osman Hadi's party activists on Friday blocked one of Dhaka's busiest intersections, demanding justice for his killing, disrupting traffic in the capital for several hours.

After Friday prayers, leaders and supporters of Inqilab Moncho and July Moncho, joined by students and members of the public, brought out a protest procession from the Dhaka University Central Mosque and marched towards Shahbagh, where they staged a sit-in demonstration, The Daily Star newspaper reported.

Md Moniruzzaman, officer-in-charge of Shahbagh Police Station, said the agitators began blocking the intersection at around 2:30 pm local time and traffic has remained suspended since then.

The protesters blocked the main roads at Shahbagh, bringing vehicular movement in the area to a complete halt.

Addressing the demonstrators, Inqilab Moncho Member Secretary Abdullah Al Jaber said the group would continue the blockade until justice was ensured for Hadi's killing, adding that protesters were prepared to stay overnight at the site if necessary.

“From today, we declare this Shahbagh as ‘Shaheed Osman Hadi Chattar’. Our movement will not leave the streets until justice is ensured for Hadi’s killing,” Al Jaber was quoted as saying by The Dhaka Tribune newspaper.

Shahbagh is a strategic junction connecting several key parts of Dhaka, and blockades there often cause widespread traffic congestion across the city.

Hadi, a staunch critic of India alongside the Awami League, was one of the leaders of last year’s violent student-led street protest dubbed the July Uprising that toppled the Hasina-led government.

He later floated the Inqilab Mancha. Hadi was a candidate for the scheduled parliamentary election in February.

He was shot in the head by masked gunmen on December 12 in Dhaka. Six days later, he died at a Singapore hospital.

The Inqilab Mancha has demanded the immediate resignation of Home Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury and Law Adviser Asif Nazrul, holding them accountable for the murder.

The law adviser has promised to hold the trial in Bangladesh’s Speedy Trial Tribunal, which requires hearings to be completed in 90 days.

After Hadi’s death, mobs in Dhaka staged mayhem, setting alight the main offices of mass circulation Prothom Alo and Daily Star newspaper, two progressive cultural groups Chhayanat and Udichi Shilpi Goshthi in Dhaka. A Hindu factory worker was lynched by a mob in central Mymensingh. PTI SCY SCY