NCP postpones Shahbagh sit-in protesting Hadi’s murder
In Chattogram, the homes of two former ministers were set on fire, while in Rajshahi, the office of the now-banned Awami League was demolished.
The sit-in programme scheduled to be held at Shahbagh after today (19 December) prayers in Dhaka following the death of Inqilab Mancha spokesperson Sharif Osman bin Hadi has been postponed, National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam said today.
Instead, a protest march will be held from Banglamotor at 4pm.
Nahid Islam made the announcement in a verified Facebook post around midday today. He urged supporters to exercise the highest level of caution during any programme after the Jummah prayers, warning that anti–July forces were planning vandalism and sabotage similar to incidents seen the previous day.
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"We are against all forms of violence and sabotage," he said. He also called on people to remain vigilant so that no reckless group can exploit public anger to carry out vandalism, arson or any subversive activities.
The NCP has directed grassroots leaders and activists to organise local-level protests.
In a statement signed by Member Secretary of the National Citizen Party (NCP) Akhter Hossen, it was said that protests would be for multiple demands including the arrest and trial of the killers of Sharif Osman Hadi, return of those responsible for the July genocide from India, their trial, and exemplary punishment, arrest of Awami terrorist elements and their collaborators, and a ban on their participation in elections, protest against attacks on media outlets, and resignation of the Home Affairs Adviser due to failure.
"We want justice for the killers of brother Hadi. But we ourselves must ensure that no third party can exploit us to take control of the country. It is also our responsibility to keep the general public alert," adds the statement.
Meanwhile, protests erupted across the country overnight following news of Osman Hadi's death.
In Chattogram, the homes of two former ministers were set on fire, while in Rajshahi, the office of the now-banned Awami League was demolished.
Anger spread across multiple regions, and in the capital's Karwan Bazar, the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star were attacked and vandalised.
