Rioters torch media office in Bangladesh; Prothom Alo newspaper fails to publish for the first time in 27 years
Bangladesh is once again gripped by widespread violence. Protesters recently unleashed chaos, targeting and setting fire to several buildings.
The unrest erupted after the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi, sparking anger among the public who took to the streets of Dhaka in large numbers. During the protests, a section of the crowd set fire to the building housing Prothom Alo, a leading Bangladeshi daily newspaper.
Journalists narrowly escape death
Journalists inside the building narrowly escaped with their lives. Speaking to news agency ANI, the newspaper’s editor said that miscreants vandalized the media house and set it on fire. This forced the journalists to flee the office, halting the publication of the newspaper and its online platform.
Speaking about the incident, Sharif said that the attack occurred late last night while journalists were working on the next day’s newspaper and online content. He added that there was anger among the people, and the miscreants channeled that anger towards damaging the newspaper. This terrified our journalists, forcing them to flee the office.
Newspaper fails to print for the first time in 27 years
The newspaper’s editor stated that due to the attack, Prothom Alo was unable to publish its print edition today, and its online platform has been offline since last night. He further added that since its establishment in 1998, this is the first time in 27 years that they have been unable to publish their newspaper. This is the darkest night for newspapers.
Demand for investigation
Considering the gravity of the incident, the executive editor urged the government to conduct a proper investigation, identify those responsible, and bring the perpetrators to justice. He termed the incident an attack on freedom of expression and freedom of the press.
Newspaper editor calls it a dark night for journalism
He described the incident as the darkest night for journalism in the country. Sajjad Sharif, the executive editor of Prothom Alo, said that the vandalism at the newspaper’s office in Karwan Bazar, Dhaka, was a direct attack on freedom of expression and the news media in Bangladesh, forcing the newspaper to halt print publication for the first time in its 27-year history since its founding in 1998.