At least 65 people were injured in a clash between police and supporters of the Inquilab Mancha in front of the Inter Continental Hotel crossing and adjacent areas in the city on Friday afternoon.

Inquilab Mancha demonstrators were demanding impartial investigation into the murder of the mancha convener Sharif Osman Hadi under the supervision of the United Nations.

The clash broke out as the protesters and others broke through the police barricade at about 3:45pm to march towards the official residence of chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, state guest house Jamuna.

Police charged batons, lobbed tear gas shells, sprayed water from canons and fired sound grenades to disperse the protesters from the area where the Dhaka Metropolitan Police slapped a ban on any kinds of public gatherings and rallies, according to police and witnesses.

They said that protesters also threw brick chips at police personnel.

The clash spread to nearby places like Paribagh and the Banglamotor crossing.

Amid protests of the Inquilab Mancha since Thursday night, the interim government said that it was committed to ensure justice for Hadi and deeply observing the probe under UN supervision.

‘The government would send a letter to the UN organisation concerned over the issue,’ said a chief adviser’s press wing release.

Although the Inquilab Mancha and the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami claimed that Inquilab Mancha member secretary Abdullah Al Jaber received gunshot injuries, the city police claimed that they did not open fire.

DMP spokesperson Muhammad Talebur Rahman in a statement said that police had neither opened fire nor used any firearms to disperse protesters.

‘When several groups were marching towards Jamuna with several demands defying police obstacles, police, at one point, lobbed tear gas shells and sound grenades to disperse the protesters,’ said Talebur.

Talebur told New Age that several police personnel were also injured in the incident but none was admitted to hospital.

DMCH director Brigadier General Md Asaduzzaman said that they had given treatment to 65 people hurt in the clash between Inquilab Mancha and police till 9:10pm but none was admitted to the health facility.

Asked about the bullet injury of Jaber, he said that the injury would be from sound grenades or tear gas shells.

‘We did not find any  bullet injury in his body,’ said the DMCH director.

DMP detective chief, also an additional commissioner, Md Shafiqul Islam said that the police were on the opposite side of the barricade.

‘When they (the protesters) broke through the barricades, they hurled brickbats and behaved rudely,’ he said.

‘At one point, Mr Jaber urged the protesters to calm down but no one listened to him,’ said Shafiqul.

Following the police action, 11-party alliance Dhaka-8 candidate Nasiruddin Patwary, also the National Citizens Party chief coordinator, along with his party activists, brought out a protest procession after his election manifesto unveiling event near the Anti-Corruption Commission.

The protesters later blocked the Shahbagh crossing at about 5:30pm for more than two hours while people suffered immensely as vehicular moment from Matysta Bhaban to Elephant Road and Dhaka University to the Intercontinental hotel crossing.

They chanted slogans such as ‘Justice for Hadi’, ‘Golami or Azadi’, ‘Delhi or Dhaka’ and ‘Hadi or Modi’.

At about 7:30pm, police again fired sound grenades and dispersed the protesters.

The protesters again blocked the Shahbagh crossing and then gathered in front of the Intercontinental hotel at about 9:00pm, engaged in a chase and counter chase encounter with police.

The protest continued till filing of this report after 9:00pm.

Inquilab Mancha activist Saifullah Al-Kaium told New Age that Jaber was injured in a leg with fragments of sound grenade while another activist Osama said that injured protesters took treatment at the DMCH facility and then left the hospital.

Jaber in a video message on the Inquilab Mancha’s Facebook page after 8:30 protested against police attack on the protesters and demanded punishment for those police personnel involved in the attack.

He also urged the people to stay calm until February 8 as the government said that it would issue the latter to the UN organisation concerned by that date.

Sharif Osman Hadi, also an organiser of the July uprising, died at a hospital in Singapore on December 18, six days after he was shot in the head in Dhaka on December 12 while conducting his electioneering.

He was leading his polls campaign as an aspiring independent candidate for the Dhaka-8 constituency, a day after the Election Commission had announced the schedule for the 13th Jatiya Sangsad elections.

The interim government in a statement on Friday said that although meetings and rallies near Jamuna and its adjacent places were banned, the police did not use force at first.

‘When protesters broke through the police barricade and climbed up to police water cannon, law enforcers lobbed tear gas shells and sprayed water from the cannon,’ said a press release issued by chief adviser’s press wing.

The interim government also clearly stated that law enforcement agencies did not open fire.

The government urged all to keep patience and show responsibilities during the critical political situation ahead of the Jatiya Sangsad elections.

Jamaat assistant secretary general advocate Ehsanul Mahbub Jubayer in a statement on Friday expressed concern and deep condemnation over police attack on the Inquilab Mancha demonstrators peaceful protests.

The Jamaat leader claimed that over 100 protesters were injured, including Inquilab Mancha member secretary Abdullah Al Jaber receiving bullet injuries.

He also demanded exemplary punishment after identifying those police officials involved in the attack on protesters.

Protests also sparked in Rajshahi and Chattogram demanding justice over the attack on Inquilab Mancha supporters in front of the Intercontinental hotel in Dhaka city.

Meanwhile, over one hundred students staged demonstrations by blocking one-side of the Dhaka-Rajshahi highway at Talaimari area in Rajshahi city.

They were protesting against the attack on the supporters of the Inquilab Mancha in front of the Intercontinental hotel crossing in Dhaka, New Age staff Correspondent in Rajshahi reported.

They, carrying various placards with pictures of Inquilab Mancha slain convener Sharif Osman Hadi, also burned a vehicle tyre on the highway in support of their protests.

Shoyeb Ahmed, one of the protesters, said that about two months had already elapsed but they knew nothing about who was ultimately responsible for his brother’s killing.

New Age Staff Correspondent in Chattogram reported that supporters and activists of Sharif Osman Hadi staged a protest and sit-in in Chattogram on Friday evening condemning police attack on demonstrators during a march towards the chief adviser’s official residence Jamuna.

The programme organised by the Inqilab Mancha’s Chattogram University and Chattogram city units began at around 6:15pm at the port city’s No 2 gate area under Panchlaish police station.

Some 200 protesters were taking part in the demonstration.

Panchlaish police station officer-in-charge Mohammad Abdul Karim said that the protesters were holding a sit-in and police remained on alert.

On January 15, Dhaka additional chief metropolitan magistrate Jashita Islam ordered the Criminal Investigation Department to conduct further probes in the Hadi murder case as the plaintiff of the case filed a no-confidence petition against the charge sheet submitted by the Detective Branch of police.

The CID set the next date for submitting  probe on February 9 as it failed to submit further probe report on January 20, January 25 and February 3.