Govt asserts no live ammunition used against Inqilab Moncho protest

The interim government on Friday said police did not use any live ammunition to disperse Inqilab Moncho-led protesters near Hotel InterContinental, adding that officers took action only when they were forced to.

Law enforcers banned all forms of demonstrations and public gathering near the chief adviser’s official residence, state guesthouse Jamuna, and still did not take any action when a group of protesters took positions at the Hotel InterContinental intersection, which is located near the sensitive facility, the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing said in a statement.

Officers responded only after the protesters forcibly broke through police barricades and mounted a water cannon. In the tense situation, officers used non-lethal options like sound grenades and water cannon.

As per the Press Wing, the government reiterated its commitment to ensuring justice for the murder of Inqilab Moncho spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi.

In keeping with protesters’ demand of an UN-backed fair investigation, officials will send a letter to UN’s concerned wing on Sunday, it added.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has confirmed that no live fire was used, the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing noted.

It also cited physicians at the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital to back up claims that no live ammunition was used in the clash between protesters and police.