Violent mobs in Bangladesh carried out coordinated and highly destructive attacks on the offices of The Daily Star and Prothom Alo in Dhaka late on Friday night, leaving the country’s media community shaken. The attackers looted valuables, vandalised newsroom infrastructure and trapped journalists inside the buildings for several hours, causing extensive damage and forcing a complete halt to normal operations at both publications.
The violence erupted just hours after confirmation of the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent activist associated with the July uprising and a prospective candidate in the upcoming elections, who succumbed to gunshot injuries while undergoing treatment in Singapore. Enraged protesters accused the two newspapers of fuelling unrest and aligning with political interests, allegations that were firmly denied by both media organisations.
At The Daily Star’s office on Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue, attackers forced entry around midnight, smashing furniture, glass doors and windows while destroying or stealing computers, cameras and hard drives. Posters commemorating slain protesters were torn down, and fires were lit on multiple floors, filling the building with smoke and flames and creating a life-threatening situation for those inside.
As the fire spread, 28 journalists and staff members were forced to take shelter on the rooftop, where they remained stranded for hours amid thick smoke. Some posted distress messages online, describing difficulty breathing and fearing for their lives. It was only around dawn that firefighters, supported by police and army personnel, managed to rescue those trapped inside.
The damage to The Daily Star’s premises was so severe that electricity, water and gas supplies were cut off. For the first time in its 34-year history, the newspaper was unable to publish its print edition, a moment widely described as unprecedented and deeply alarming for press freedom in Bangladesh.
Almost simultaneously, Prothom Alo’s headquarters at Karwan Bazar came under attack. The assault began late in the evening and initially met police resistance, but the mob regrouped and launched a more forceful second wave. Windows were smashed, furniture destroyed, computers and CCTV systems vandalised, fire safety equipment damaged and cash lockers broken open.
The destruction at Prothom Alo extended across several floors, severely crippling newsroom operations and causing major losses to its OTT platform, Chorki. Employees were forced to flee in panic, with one reportedly jumping from the rooftop to a neighbouring building and sustaining serious injuries in the process.
As a direct result of the attack, Prothom Alo failed to publish its print edition for the first time in its 27-year history, while its digital services remained offline for nearly 17 hours. Firefighting efforts were delayed because protesters blocked access routes, and two firefighters were hospitalised after suffering electric shocks during rescue operations.
The violence spread beyond the media houses, with mobs targeting cultural institutions and symbolic sites in Dhaka. In Dhanmondi, attackers vandalised Chhayanaut Bhaban, damaging musical instruments, artworks and offices, while parts of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s historic residence at Dhanmondi-32 were demolished using excavators. The Bangladesh Udichi Shilpigoshthi office on Topkhana Road was also set on fire.
Protests and acts of vandalism were reported from other cities, including Chattogram, Rajshahi and Uttara. In Chattogram, police detained several protesters following stone-pelting incidents near the Assistant Indian High Commission, reflecting the wider spread of unrest beyond the capital.
Interim Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus contacted senior editors of both newspapers, expressing sorrow over the attacks and assuring government support. Other members of the interim administration pledged assistance to help restore damaged media and cultural institutions, while law enforcement agencies stepped up security in sensitive areas.
Journalists’ bodies, political leaders and international press freedom organisations strongly condemned the attacks, describing them as a direct assault on independent journalism and democratic norms. Many warned that silencing the media through violence poses a grave threat to free expression and fair elections.
Authorities believe that vested interest groups exploited public anger following Sharif Osman Hadi’s death to incite chaos and deliberately target independent media outlets. Prothom Alo described the night as a “black day for free journalism,” warning that such coordinated attacks were aimed at undermining democratic processes ahead of elections and damaging Bangladesh’s international reputation.
