Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, witnessed a night of unprecedented violence targeting the press as protests over the death of a prominent student activist spiraled out of control. The unrest, which erupted on Friday night, saw mobs attack the offices of two of the country's leading newspapers, Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, in a severe blow to media freedom.
Night of Terror for Journalists
The chaos began around midnight in the Kawran Bazar area of Dhaka. Protesters, enraged by the death of activist Sharif Osman Hadi, stormed the buildings of the media houses. They vandalized property, broke equipment, and set offices on fire, creating a scene of havoc.
At The Daily Star, the situation turned particularly dire. A mob surrounded the building, trapping at least 25 journalists inside for over four hours, as confirmed by BD News24. A journalist stranded on the rooftop described a narrow escape from a major disaster, expressing deep uncertainty about the nation's future. The staff remained trapped as protesters set parts of the building ablaze.
The siege finally ended in the early hours of Saturday, around 3:45 AM, when army personnel arrived and opened a fire exit, allowing the trapped journalists to evacuate safely. Firefighters subsequently brought the flames under control, though two fire service workers were injured and hospitalized, according to BBC Bangla. Reporter Zyma Islam, in a harrowing Facebook post, wrote about the suffocating smoke that filled the premises.
Direct Assault on Press Freedom
The office of Prothom Alo faced similar brutality. Protesters vandalized the premises while chanting slogans, forcing the newspaper to halt all print and online publishing. Sajjad Sharif, the Executive Editor, termed it the "darkest night" for the country's press, calling the riots a direct attack on freedom of speech. He urged authorities to identify and arrest the culprits.
Sharif revealed that this was the first time in the newspaper's 27-year history, since its establishment in 1998, that it failed to publish. He linked the unrest to widespread public anger following Hadi's death. Other media leaders, including Editors’ Council President Nurul Kabir and photographer Shahidul Alam, who tried to calm the crowds, were reportedly harassed.
Nation Mourns Amid Diplomatic Tensions
The violence stems from the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, a central figure in the uprising that ended former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's 15-year rule last year. Hadi died in a Singapore hospital on Thursday from gunshot wounds sustained in a Dhaka attack on December 12.
On Saturday, Bangladesh observed a national day of mourning. Hundreds of thousands of mourners gathered outside the Parliament complex in Dhaka to pay their final respects, as reported by the Associated Press. The incident has ignited fresh political and diplomatic turmoil. While police have identified suspects, authorities believe the shooter may have fled to India, where Sheikh Hasina resides in exile, sparking a diplomatic squabble between the two neighboring countries.
