With Osman Hadi's funeral concluded, Inqilab Moncho gives 24-hour ultimatum to Bangladesh's Home Ministry

Dhaka [Bangladesh], December 20 (ANI): With the final prayers for the funeral service for the slain Inqilab Moncho convenor, Sharif Osman Hadi, concluded on Bangladesh's Dhaka University campus on Saturday, the organisation rallied towards the Shahbagh area, issuing a 24-hour ultimatum to the country's Home Ministry, demanding a report on the progress of arrests of the killers of Osman Hadi.
From early morning, mourners arrived in groups at Manik Mia Avenue to pay their final tributes to Hadi, with some draping themselves in the country's national flag while others chanted slogans demanding justice for Hadi's killing.
Following the funeral, the Moncho demanded Bangladesh's Home Affairs Adviser, Retired Lt Gen. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury and the Chief Adviser's Special Assistant in the Home Ministry, Khoda Bakhsh Chowdhury, provide a report on the progress of arrests of the killers of Hadi and warned that failure to respond would result in their resignation.
According to Prothom Alo, Abdullah Al Jaber, the Member Secretary of Inqilab Moncho, issued an ultimatum to government officials.
In his speech, Al Jaber presented two demands. He called on the Home Affairs Adviser and Assistant Adviser to report publicly on the progress made on Hadi's killings in the past week and warned that if no response is received within 24 hours, they must resign. He also urged the authorities to identify and arrest Awami terrorists allegedly hiding within civil and military intelligence agencies, as reported by Prothom Alo.
"Within the next 24 hours, the Home Affairs Adviser (Jahangir Alam Chowdhury) and the Assistant Adviser (Khoda Bakhsh Chowdhury) must come before the public and explain how far they have progressed over the past week. If they fail to answer, they must resign. Identify and arrest Awami terrorists hiding within civil and military intelligence," Al Jaber said.
"We will remain here around the clock. But we want to give you some rest. Go home for today. If no response comes from the government by 5:15 pm tomorrow, we will return here. We have given enough concessions--no more," he added, as quoted by Prothom Alo.
Saturday was also being observed as a day of state mourning for Hadi's death, with national flags flown at half-mast and special prayers held at places of worship. It was also a day of relative calm in the capital after two days of protests by supporters of the Inqilab Moncho.
The Inqilab Moncho convenor, Sharif Osman Hadi, one of the prominent figures behind the July Uprising last year, was pronounced dead on Thursday, after he was shot at close range on December 12 while travelling in a rickshaw in Dhaka's Bijoynagar area.
According to bdnews24, citing police, two assailants arrived on a motorcycle, opened fire and fled the scene.
Critically injured, Hadi was first taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and later shifted to Evercare Hospital, where he was placed in intensive care. On December 15, Hadi was flown to Singapore by air ambulance for advanced treatment, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Following his death, protests broke out in the capital of Dhaka, with a fresh wave of protests breaking out today as the activists gathered at Dhaka's Shahbagh intersection to call for justice for the slain leader.
Hadi was also being considered as a potential Dhaka-8 candidate for the February 2026 national election.
In accordance with the family's wishes, Hadi was buried beside the grave of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam.
Ahead of his funeral prayers, the Bangladesh Guard Border and police had been deployed at the Parliament building and other key locations across Dhaka.
As per the instructions of the Inqilab Moncho, only the national flag of Bangladesh was displayed at the funeral prayer service.
His death sparked protests and unrest across Bangladesh, prompting heightened security measures.
According to BDNews24, the National Cyber Security Agency has called on the public to report social media posts that promote terrorism or incite violence amid heightened concerns over online content linked to unrest.
In a statement issued on Saturday, BDNews24 mentioned that Bangladesh's Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications said such posts could be reported directly via WhatsApp and email.
Officials said the National Cyber Security Agency would initially review complaints received before being forwarded to social media platforms through the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), it further reported. (ANI)