Shahbagh blockade continues as women, children and elderly join overnight protest

Ignoring the biting cold of Paush and the darkness of the night, protesters have continued their blockade at Shahbagh intersection, with women, children and elderly people joining the sit-in to demand justice for Sharif Osman Hadi.

Wrapped in blankets and sitting under makeshift awnings, demonstrators were seen occupying the Shahbagh intersection at around 3:00am on Saturday.

The area echoed with slogans such as “We want justice” and “From the blood of one Hadi, a thousand Hadis will be born,” as the protesters determined to remain on the streets until legal proceedings begin over the killing of the Inqilab Moncho spokesperson.

Barricades were set up around the intersection, halting traffic on the main road, although vehicles were moving slowly along adjacent lanes. Protesters gathered near the traffic police box, turning the area into a focal point of resistance through the night.

A couple from Rampura arrived at the blockade with their two children. With tears in her eyes, Umair Kulsoom told Daily Sun that Hadi’s words had made it impossible for them to stay at home.

“He left behind a will asking for justice. How can we sleep peacefully?” she said.

An elderly man standing nearby said the physical suffering caused by the cold was insignificant without justice.

“We are suffering in this winter, but that suffering means nothing if we do not get justice. We do not want to lose anyone else,” he said, breaking down in tears.

Inqilab Moncho has announced that it will continue the blockade of Shahbagh until the trial of Shaheed Hadi’s murder begins. On Friday night around 10:30pm, the organisation’s member secretary Abdullah Al Jaber said the programme would continue day and night if necessary.

“We will not leave without ensuring justice for Hadi Bhai,” he said. “No assurance is enough. The trial must be completed within a maximum of 30 working days. We will withdraw the programme as soon as the trial begins.”

Many participants were visibly emotional. Asif, a Dhaka University student, said the demand for justice was about preventing future violence.

 “If Hadi is not tried today, tomorrow anyone can become Hadi and fall victim to brutal murder. We do not want that,” he said.

Earlier on Friday, after Juma prayers, Inqilab Moncho brought out a protest procession from the Dhaka University Central Jame Mosque. The march passed through VC Chattar, TSC and Shaheed Minar before reaching Shahbagh, where students, political activists and members of the public joined the sit-in.

At around 3:00am, GS Salauddin Ammar of the Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union (RAKSU) was seen leading the programme with slogans. 

He said silencing Hadi would only awaken thousands of voices. “We have not come to give speeches; we have come to seek justice. This struggle for justice and freedom will continue for generations. Hadi Bhai’s blood must be judged,” he said.

Inqilab Moncho reiterated its three-point demand: the formation of a speedy judicial tribunal to complete the trial within 30 working days, an impartial investigation conducted through an internationally recognised intelligence agency, and the resignation of the Home Affairs Adviser along with others deemed responsible for the murder.

A female protester said the movement went beyond politics. “We do not understand politics. We only want the murder to be tried. If the state cannot provide justice, the people will take to the streets,” she said.

Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson of Inqilab Moncho, was shot in the head on Box Culvert Road in Purana Paltan, Dhaka, on 12 December. He later died while undergoing treatment in Singapore.