Dhaka [Bangladesh], December 20 : An uneasy calm prevails over Dhaka on a day where slain Inqilab Moncho leader Osman Hadi will be buried.
Sharif Osman Hadi, was shot at close range on December 12 while travelling in a rickshaw in Dhaka's Bijoynagar area. 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, as the activists called for justice for their slain leader. There were several waves of protests on Friday even as Hadi's body arrived in the capital city. While the Inqilab Moncho has called for its cadres to maintain peace during the funeral procession on Saturday, Dhaka continues to be tense.
Now, several citizen organisations demanded the resignation of the home adviser, accusing him of failing to maintain law and order after Hadi's killing and the subsequent violence. In a joint statement issued on Friday, 16 organisations expressed deep concern about the deterioration in public safety and called for immediate steps to restore law and order.
The organisations include Ganatantrik Odhikar Committee, Network for Democratic Bangladesh, Charan Sanskritik Kendra, Naripokkho, Association for Land Reform and Development, University Teachers' Network, Nagarik Coalition, and Voice for Reform, BD News reported.
The statement said various groups with vested interests were attempting to exploit the incident for political gain and to destabilise the country.
"Even one year after the [July Uprising], the interim government has failed to ensure citizens' safety from the ousted Awami League and other forces at home and abroad," the statement said.
Bangladesh's Editors' Council and the Newspaper Owners' Association of Bangladesh (NOAB) also expressed strong condemnation over the attacks, vandalism and arson at the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, calling them a serious threat to press freedom.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Friday claimed that the violence following the killing of Inqilab Moncho convenor Sharif Osman bin Hadi was part of a conspiracy aimed at creating uncertainty ahead of Bangladesh's parliamentary elections.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir outlined the party's position at a press conference late Friday night following a meeting of the BNP's National Standing Committee.
"We condemn and express our disgust at these heinous incidents," Fakhrul said. "They show that a long-identified group is deliberately pushing the country towards chaos."
Inqilab cadres are expected to gather as the funeral procession gets underway, the Interim government is now under extreme pressure to ensure that peace prevails.