Clashes erupt as police halt Inqilab Mancha march towards Jamuna; several injured
Clashes continue with law enforcement maintaining a heavy presence.
Police used batons, sound grenades, water cannons and tear gas this afternoon (6 February) to disperse supporters of Inqilab Mancha who attempted to march towards the chief adviser's residence, demanding justice for the killing of their spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi.
A number of people, including police, have reportedly been injured during the clash.
According to sources, protesters started gathering near the InterContinental Dhaka in the capitals Ramna after the platform called for a sit-in yesterday evening. To ensure the protest does not reach the chief adviser's residence, the State Guest House Jamuna, police erected a barricade at the entrance to Minto Road.
At around 3:45pm when the protesters tried marching towards Jamuna, police blocked their advance. When they tried removing the barricade, police started firing water cannons and sound grenades at the advancing protesters.
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Meanwhile, when the protesters started hurling bricks in return, police then charged with batons and fired more sound grenades and tear gas while deploying water canons to scatter them towards Shahbagh and Banglamotor area.
At the time of filing this report, clashes were continuing in the area, with law enforcers maintaining a heavy presence.
Earlier, Inqilab Mancha had called on its leaders and activists to stage a sit-in near InterContinental Dhaka after Jummah prayer today, demanding justice for the murder of Sharif Osman Hadi, the platform's spokesperson.
The call followed a sit-in launched yesterday evening (5 February) near the state guest house Jamuna, the official residence of the chief adviser. Protesters have been demanding a United Nations-led investigation into the killing of Hadi.
In a Facebook update, Inqilab Mancha said that if no assurance comes from Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus regarding a UN probe, students and the public would be asked to gather peacefully in front of Jamuna.
