Fresh unrest in Dhaka as protest over Hadi killing turns violent

Dhaka: At least 50 activists of the ultra-right Inqilab Mancha were injured on Friday after violent confrontations with police in Dhaka, as protesters attempted to push past a ban on demonstrations outside the official Jamuna residence of interim government chief Muhammad Yunus. The clash erupted when demonstrators, demanding immediate justice for the killing of their leader Sharif Osman Hadi, tried to breach security barricades following a nearby sit-in protest.

Police in riot gear deployed batons, water cannon and sound grenades to disperse the crowd, while army personnel with guns and armoured personnel carriers secured the perimeter. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police said the dispersal was carried out in a “fully lawful” manner and that no lethal weapons or gunfire were used. Doctors at Dhaka Medical College Hospital treated 23 people, including Inqilab Mancha secretary-general Abdullah Al Zaber, with authorities saying none suffered bullet wounds.

After the confrontation, activists blocked a major intersection in the central Shahbagh area, halting traffic for hours. Yunus’ office dismissed reports of excessive force but reiterated that it was examining legal procedures to request a United Nations investigation through the OHCHR, with a formal letter to be sent on February 8.

Hadi, a prominent figure in the 2024 student-led July Uprising that ousted Sheikh Hasina’s government, was shot while campaigning on December 12 for the February 12 parliamentary polls and later died. The government has already observed a day of mourning, moved his case to a fast-track tribunal under the Speedy Trial Tribunal Act, allocated Taka 2 crore to his family, and appointed his brother Abu Bakar Siddiq as second secretary in Birmingham.