Leaders and activists of the Inqilab Mancha in Bangladesh reportedly demanded that the work permits of Indians working in the country must be revoked. The group's statement came amid the controversy over the killing of student leader and Inquilab Moncha spokesperson Shaheed Osman Hadi.
Abdullah Al Jaber, member secretary of the Inqilab Mancha, announced four demands last night (28 December) to the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, including the arrest and prosecution of Shaheed Osman Hadi's murderers within the next 24 days, according to Prothom Alo.
"I am announcing four points on behalf of the Inqilab Mancha to establish a fight for justice to arrest and prosecute the murderers of martyr Osman Hadi and to maintain the independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh," Jaber was quoted as saying.
According to Prothom Alo, the four-point demand of the Inqilab Mancha includes:
1. All those involved in Hadi's killing, perpetrators, planners and accomplices, must be arrested and brought to justice within 24 days.
2. The interim government must cancel the work permits of Indians working in Bangladesh to maintain the country's independence and sovereignty.
3. If India refuses to return all murderers who have sought refuge in that country, a case should be filed against India in the International Court of Justice.
4. The government must prosecute the Awami League's allies in civil, military, and intelligence.
"Among these four demands, our main demand is to arrest the murderers of Shaheed Osman Hadi within the next 24 working days and complete the trial. The remaining three demands must also be fulfilled by this interim government," Jaber reportedly said.
Local media reported that Inqilab Mancha leaders and activists had been holding a sit-in at Dhaka's Shahbagh intersection since Friday afternoon, demanding the arrest and trial of Hadi's killers.
On Saturday night, Jaber announced a full-scale blockade in the divisional cities to spread the movement. He ended the blockade on Sunday night after issuing the four demands.
Sharif Osman Hadi killed
Hadi, 32, was shot a day after the Election Commission announced on 12 December that the next national election would be held on 12 February. He was later airlifted to Singapore for advanced medical treatment, where he died on the night of 18 December.
Hadi, spokesperson of Inquilab Moncha, was a prominent youth leader during the July-August 2024 mass street protests that led to the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government last year.
He was also a parliamentary candidate for the upcoming 12 February elections.
In the aftermath of his killing, Bangladeshi police claimed that two primary suspects had fled across the border into India through the Haluaghat sector in Mymensingh district. The area lies opposite Meghalaya's Garo Hills in the western sector, which shares an international border with Bangladesh and is guarded by the Border Security Force (BSF).
A top Dhaka Metropolitan Police officer earlier said that two primary suspects in the Hadi murder case had crossed into Meghalaya, India, via the Haluaghat border “with the help of local associates”.
However, security agencies in Meghalaya dismissed the claims by the Bangladesh Police on Sunday.
"There is no evidence to suggest that any individual crossed the international border from the Haluaghat sector into Meghalaya. The BSF has neither detected nor received any report of such an incident," Inspector General OP Opadhyay told PTI.
"The claims being circulated are unfounded and misleading," he said.
