Inqilab Moncho blocks Dhaka's Shahbagh, demands justice for slain leader Sharif Osman Bin Hadi

Dhaka [Bangladesh], December 28 : Inqilab Moncho leaders and supporters on Sunday staged a blockade at Dhaka's Shahbagh intersection as part of a wider shutdown across divisional cities, pressing for justice in the killing of their leader Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, The Daily Star reported.
The protest at Shahbagh officially began at 2:00 pm, though several demonstrators had already positioned themselves on adjoining roads by around 11:00 am, chanting slogans and demanding justice for Hadi, according to a spokesperson of Inqilab Moncho.
Protesters had occupied the Shahbagh intersection from Friday and continued their sit-in through the night amid a cold wave. They vacated the area late Saturday night after Abdullah Al Jaber, member secretary of the platform, announced plans to expand the blockade to divisional cities in an effort to widen the movement beyond Dhaka, The Daily Star reported.
To take part in Sunday's programme, demonstrators returned ahead of the scheduled time and once again took positions at the intersection.
During Saturday night's protest, Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan and Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Sheikh Md Sazzat Ali visited the site around 11:00 pm and briefed demonstrators on the status of the investigation, the report said.
Assuring swift submission of the charge sheet and a speedy trial, the adviser said the interim government was working to identify both the perpetrators of the killing and those involved behind the scenes, and to ensure they are brought to justice. Protesters, however, said they would continue their movement until justice is delivered.
"Statements from the administration are nothing but eyewash. They are trying to buy time. The day the shooting took place, the perpetrators could have been arrested," said Naim Islam, a central member of Inqilab Moncho.
"The government must disclose who is pressuring whom. They claim arrests have been made, but the actual killers must be caught," he said.
Briefing demonstrators later that night, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner said police, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and intelligence agencies were jointly working to identify those responsible for the killing, The Daily Star reported.
He said 10 people had so far been arrested, two pistols and a motorcycle used in the murder had been recovered, and police had seized signed cheques worth Tk 218 crore. "There has been substantial progress. The charge sheet will be submitted within the next 10 days, by January 7," he said.
Hadi was shot a day after the Election Commission announced on December 12 that the next national election would be held on February 12. He was later airlifted to Singapore for advanced medical treatment, where he died on the night of December 18.
Meanwhile, protests were also reported outside the capital, with Inqilab Moncho activists blocking the Chowhatta intersection in Sylhet city around 3:00 pm as part of the day's programme.