A day after the offices of Bangladesh’s two media organisations, Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, in Dhaka were attacked, vandalised and set on fire by Islamic fundamentalists, both organisations have described the incidents as a “dark day” for independent journalism. They also alleged that the attack was a bid to destabilise the country ahead of national elections scheduled for February 2026, to derail the polls.
The attacks occurred amid protests following the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, a 32-year-old youth leader and frontliner in the 2024 uprising that ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Hadi, who was an aspirant for the Dhaka-8 constituency and planned to contest as an independent, succumbed to injuries on December 18 in Singapore after being shot in broad daylight on December 12. Massive protests erupted last night after new came that Hadi succumbed to the injuries in Singapore.
Prothom Alo issued a formal statement condemning the “deliberate and organised attack” on its Karwan Bazar office, describing extensive vandalism followed by arson that gutted the building and destroyed assets and documents. Calling it a terrorist attack, the newspaper said that journalists and staff were forced to flee for their lives.
“The attackers extensively vandalised the office building and then set it on fire. Due to the prolonged blaze, the building was gutted and the assets and valuable documents stored there were reduced to ashes,” the statement said.
Prothom Alo said that anticipating the attack, they had sought security from the government, but the attack begam before the security forces arrived. Law enforcement and fire services arrived later to control the blaze. As a result, Prothom Alo suspended online operations temporarily and could not publish its print edition on December 19 for the first time in its 27-year history, excluding holidays.
The statement alleged that a “vested interest group” exploited public anger over Hadi’s tragic killing to carry out the attacks. The newspaper said, “There are reasonable grounds to believe that a vested interest group deliberately carried out these attacks by exploiting the tragic killing of Sharif Osman Hadi.”
It further said, “This was a black day for independent journalism. Through these incidents, there was not only an attempt to derail the upcoming election, but also a clear intent to severely damage Bangladesh’s image on the international stage.”
Prothom Alo further called it a “terrorist attack” and a “direct assault on democracy, press freedom, and the right to express dissent,” demanding a thorough investigation and justice.
Similarly, The Daily Star published a similar statement, labelling the events “one of the darkest days for independent journalism in Bangladesh.” It said that their staff were trapped on the rooftop for hours as mobs vandalised floors progressively and set fires below, with smoke making breathing difficult at times. No injuries were reported, thanks to eventual intervention by fire services, police, and the army, who rescued around 28 journalists and staff after several hours.
In the editorial response, The Daily Star asserted that certain elements exploited grief over Hadi’s death to incite violence against media outlets known for objective reporting. “It appears that this is another attempt at creating an environment of instability in the country to derail the forthcoming election,” the newspaper stated, warning that such acts would harm Bangladesh’s global image regarding freedom of speech. It urged the government to investigate thoroughly, identify culprits and instigators.
Daily Star added that “This senseless act of violence against certain institutions that had nothing to do with Hadi’s shooting.” It alleged that both The Daily Star and Prothom Alo have been under repeated threats from different quarters but they were neither dealt with seriously nor investigated.
“It is an attack on independent journalism, freedom of speech, and the sanctity of private property. This must not be taken lightly,” the newspaper stated.
Daily Star also say that they had requested security in advance after seeing the processions and protests. While security arrived, the newspaper said that a better coordinated response would have meant less trauma for their trapped staff.
The buildings of Prothom Alo and Daily Star are located in the same area on Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue in Dhaka, around 400 metres apart. Both buildings came under coordinated attacks, with accusations of the outlets being “pro-India” or linked to the ousted Awami League regime, claims the newspapers have historically rejected in favour of independent journalism.
