At least 50 activists of the ultra right group Inqilab Mancha were injured on Friday during clashes with police in Bangladesh after attempting to defy a ban on protests near the official residence of interim government chief Muhammad Yunus in Dhaka. The group was demanding immediate justice for the killing of its leader Sharif Osman Hadi last year.
Police used batons, sound grenades and water cannon as protestors tried to breach security barricades outside Yunus’ Jamuna residence, despite an earlier announcement prohibiting rallies in the area. Witnesses said police in riot gear moved in when protestors advanced from a nearby sit in towards Jamuna. Newspaper reports said more than 50 activists were injured, including Inqilab Mancha member secretary Abdullah Al Zaber, accroding to AP.
In response to the police action, activists blocked a major intersection in the capital’s Shahbagh area, bringing traffic to a halt. Dhaka Metropolitan Police said the crowd was dispersed in a fully lawful manner and insisted no lethal weapons or gunfire were used. Yunus’ office also rejected allegations of excessive force.
According to a government statement, 23 people including Abdullah Al Zaber were treated at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Doctors confirmed that none of them had sustained bullet wounds.
Yunus’ office said it was reviewing reports related to the clashes and reiterated that security forces acted within the law.
UN probe into Hadi killing
The attempted march on Jamuna came despite an announcement a day earlier that the interim government would propose a United Nations investigation into Hadi’s murder.
Yunus’ press secretary Shafiqul Alam said the government would ask the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to conduct the inquiry to ensure impartiality. The government said it would formally approach the UN agency on February 8.
Osman Hadi's killing and violence in Bangladesh
Hadi was a frontline activist of the violent 2024 student led street movement known as the July Uprising, which toppled former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government. He was also a candidate in the February 12 parliamentary elections.
He was shot in Dhaka on December 12 last year while campaigning and later died of his injuries. The government subsequently observed a day of mourning, describing him as a martyr.
Past violence and political accusations
Hours after Hadi’s death, his supporters torched the offices of newspapers Daily Star and Prothom Alo, as well as cultural organisations Chayanat and Udichi Shilpi Goshthi. A Hindu factory worker was also lynched in Mymensingh during the unrest.
Last month, Hadi’s brother Omar accused elements within the interim government of plotting the killing to derail the February 12 elections. The government has denied the allegation.
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