Bangladesh: Inqilab Moncho reminds govt of deadline day for Hadi's murder trial as fresh protest erupts in Shahbagh

Dhaka [Bangladesh], January 2 : Fresh protests erupted in Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, on Friday as Inqilab Moncho, a mass cultural movement formed during the 2024 July Uprising, held a blockade in the Shahbagh region, demanding justice in the murder of Osman Hadi, one of the prominent leaders of the movement, who died on December 18.

During the rally, Inqilab Moncho leaders reminded Bangladesh's interim government of the deadline for initiating and expediting the trial into Hadi's killing, noting that only 22 days were left of the 30-day deadline provided by the movement for the matter, The Daily Star reported.

Sharif Osman Hadi, an Inqilab Moncho convenor and one of the prominent figures behind the July Uprising last year, which led to the ousting of the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's regime, was pronounced dead on December 18, after he was shot at close range on December 12 while travelling in a rickshaw in Dhaka's Bijoynagar area.

According to bdnews24, citing police, two assailants arrived on a motorcycle, opened fire and fled the scene.

Following his death, protests broke out in Dhaka, with a fresh wave of protests breaking out today as the activists gathered at Dhaka's Shahbagh intersection to call for justice for the slain leader.

Addressing the rally, Abdullah Al Jaber, the movement's member secretary, warned that if the government fails to complete the judicial process within the timeline, the group will launch a campaign demanding the government's resignation, The Daily Star reported.

"There are 22 days left, and we are moving forward according to this timeline. If the government fails to complete the trial of Hadi's murder within this period, we will launch a movement to topple the government," Jaber said, as quoted by The Daily Star.

"A government that cannot identify the killers, submit a charge sheet, or inform the people about the progress of the investigation has no moral right to stay in power... If the state cannot maintain law and order and its intelligence agencies are unable to act, we do not want to see such a helpless authority ruling the country," he added, as quoted by The Daily Star.

Jaber further demanded that by January 7, those behind the murder must be identified and a charge sheet submitted, further noting that once the trial formally begins, the movement will launch a public campaign ahead of the elections to inform voters about whom they should or should not support.

According to The Daily Star, the platform began the blockade last week. On Monday night, protesters temporarily vacated the intersection and moved their campaign online due to a cold wave. The programme was subsequently postponed following the death and funeral of former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia.

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