Staff Reporter :
Leaders and activists of Inqilab Moncho intensified their campaign for justice over the killing of their leader, Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, as the blockade at Dhaka’s Shahbagh intersection entered its third consecutive day on Sunday
Alongside Shahbagh, Inqilab Moncho and allied groups staged simultaneous blockades at major highways and intersections in Chattogram, Rajshahi, Gazipur, Barishal, Cumilla, and Khulna, disrupting traffic and amplifying their call for accountability in Hadi’s murder.
By evening, the sit-in at Shahbagh had swelled, drawing women, children, and people from diverse professions, witnesses said. Protesters voiced frustration over delays and what they described as vague assurances from authorities regarding the ongoing investigation.
Naim Islam, a central member of Inqilab Moncho, accused the administration of stalling the process.
“Their statements are nothing but eyewash. The perpetrators could have been arrested on the very day of the shooting,” he said.
“The government must clarify who is exerting pressure on whom. They talk about arrests, but the real killers have yet to be brought to justice.”
Many demonstrators said official assurances failed to satisfy their demands.
Hasan Rifat, a motorcycle mechanic from Bangla Motor, added, “Hadi bhai never relied on protocol; he trusted the people. He was killed because he dared to speak out against foreign occupation.”
To accommodate the growing crowd, organisers set up a separate area beside the main stage for women and children, who displayed posters and banners calling for a swift and transparent trial.
Chants demanding justice reverberated across the intersection, while cultural performances, including poetry recitations and songs, helped sustain morale throughout the day.
The blockade resumed at 2:00pm as part of Inqilab Moncho’s all-out programme across divisional cities. Protesters have occupied Shahbagh since Friday and continued their sit-in overnight despite a cold wave.
Although they briefly vacated the area Saturday night after platform member secretary Abdullah Al Jaber announced an expanded nationwide movement, demonstrators returned ahead of schedule on Sunday.
The DMP commissioner said police, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), and intelligence agencies were jointly working on the case.
Ten people have been arrested so far, two pistols and a motorcycle used in the killing recovered, and signed cheques worth Tk 218 crore seized. The charge sheet is expected within 10 days, by January 7.
Sharif Osman Hadi, a key figure of the July Uprising and an aspiring independent election candidate, was shot in Dhaka’s Paltan area on 12 December and later died in Singapore on 18 December after treatment.
