Bangladesh Unrest Escalates: Inqilab Moncho Threatens Nationwide Blockades and Government Buildings

Protests demanding justice for slain party leader Sharif Osman Hadi have intensified across Bangladesh, with the Inqilab Moncho announcing all-out blockades in divisional cities and warning of further escalation. On Sunday, the organisation will begin blockades at 11:00am local time, with sit-ins and road blockages reported in several cities, including Dhaka, Sylhet, Chattogram, and Kushtia. The protests, which started in Dhaka's Shahbagh intersection on Friday, have gained momentum with women and children joining the demonstrations. Inqilab Moncho Member Secretary Abdullah Al Jaber issued a warning to the government, saying that if they failed to act, the agitation would intensify. He mentioned the possibility of occupying key government buildings, including the chief adviser's residence, parliament, or even the cantonment. Jaber criticized the government's inaction, stating that no adviser had visited the protest site despite the sit-in continuing since Friday. He also claimed that the platform's strength was evident in the July mass uprising and that they could have toppled the government on December 12 if they wanted to. The protests follow the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi, a potential candidate for the Dhaka-8 constituency in the upcoming parliamentary election. His death triggered widespread unrest in Bangladesh, with vandalism and fires reported at the Dhaka offices of local media outlets. The situation has also sparked protests in parts of India, including Kolkata, over the alleged killing of a Hindu worker in a garment factory. In a separate incident, a Hindu youth was lynched in Rajbari's Pangsha sub-district over an alleged extortion case. The Inqilab Moncho has vowed to continue their protests until those involved in Hadi's killing are arrested. The government has yet to respond to the organisation's demands, and the situation remains tense in Bangladesh.