Police dispersed leaders and activists of Inqilab Mancha from Shahbagh intersection in Dhaka on Thursday evening (6 February) after clashes broke out when protesters again tried to march towards the chief adviser’s residence.
According to police, the protesters attempted to move towards State Guest House Jamuna around 7:45pm, prompting law enforcers to intervene and clear the area.
“The protesters had blocked Shahbagh. When they tried to march towards Jamuna again, police dispersed them,” said Md Moniruzzaman, officer-in-charge of Shahbagh Police Station.
Earlier in the day, around 5:15pm, activists marched from the Raju Memorial Sculpture on the Dhaka University campus and took position at Shahbagh, causing severe traffic congestion in the area.
Tensions had already escalated earlier at about 3:45pm when a clash broke out between police and Inqilab Mancha activists as they attempted to march towards the chief adviser’s residence. The protesters were demanding justice for the murder of the platform’s spokesperson, Sharif Osman Hadi.
At least 40 people were reportedly injured in the clashes, including the organisation’s member secretary, Abdullah Al Jaber. The injured were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment.
Earlier, Inqilab Mancha had called on its leaders and activists through a Facebook post to stage a sit-in near InterContinental Dhaka after Jummah prayers. The call followed a sit-in held on Wednesday evening (5 February) near the chief adviser’s residence, demanding a United Nations-led investigation into Hadi’s killing.
Hadi, an aspiring independent candidate for the Dhaka-8 constituency, was shot in the capital’s Paltan area on 12 December last year. He later died at a hospital in Singapore on 18 December.
The activists left Shahbagh around 10:00pm on Thursday following instructions from the organisation’s leadership. Addressing the workers, a leader said on behalf of member secretary Abdullah Al Jaber that a new programme would be announced on Saturday (7 February) and urged supporters to return home peacefully.
Former DUCSU leaders AB Zubair and Musaddek Ali were present at the site during the dispersal.
In a separate Facebook post earlier in the day, Inqilab Mancha alleged attempts to divert public attention and urged its supporters to remain safe. The post also said further instructions would be announced later.
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