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Calling it the "darkest night" for journalism in the country, Prothom Alo Executive Editor Sajjad Sharif on Friday said the vandalism of the newspaper's office in Dhaka's Karwanbazar was a direct assault on freedom of speech and the news media in Bangladesh, forcing the newspaper to halt print publication for the first time in its 27-year history since its establishment in 1998.
The attack on the news outlets came after the death of Inquilab Mancha spokesperson Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, one of the prominent figures of last year's July Uprising, when a group of people gathered in front of the offices of the newspapers and attacked them, as per Nagorik. The "miscreants" described by the Sharif also attacked another media outlet, the Daily Star, in the same area. Speaking to ANI following the vandalism, the Executive Editor said that Hadi's killing had sparked anger across society, which was allegedly diverted by miscreants towards media organisations. "Our (media) house was vandalised by some miscreants. Yesterday night, while our journalists were working for the next day newspaper and online, a sad thing happened in the evening. One of the steerers of last year's uprising, Sharif Osman Hadi, was unfortunately killed by someone, and he died yesterday. There was anger in the society," he said. "The miscreants steered the anger to demolish newspapers. They attacked us, and our journalists were scared to death. They had to flee the office. We couldn't publish our newspaper today, and our online was off since last night. And since its establishment in 1998, in 27 years, it's the first time we haven't publish our newspaper. I would say it is the darkest night for newspapers. And it's an attack on our freedom of speech and freedom of the news media," Sharif added. He also urged Bangladesh's interim government to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident and ensure accountability. "We urge the government to conduct a proper investigation to find out the miscreants and bring them under the law. We are asking for our government to do that," he stated. The whole ordeal took place last night, on Thursday, after the Inqilab Moncho spokesperson, Sharif Osman Hadi, one of the prominent figures behind the July Uprising last year, was pronounced dead after he was shot at close range on December 12 while travelling in a rickshaw in Dhaka's Bijoynagar area. According to bdnews24, citing police, two assailants arrived on a motorcycle, opened fire and fled the scene. Critically injured, Hadi was first taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and later shifted to Evercare Hospital, where he was placed in intensive care. On December 15, Hadi was flown to Singapore by air ambulance for advanced treatment, where he later succumbed to his injuries. Following his death, protests broke out in the capital of Dhaka, with a fresh wave of protests breaking out today as the activists gathered at Dhaka's Shahbagh intersection to call for justice for the slain leader. Hadi was also being considered as a potential Dhaka-8 candidate for the February 2026 national election. Meanwhile, the Chief Adviser of the interim government of Bangladesh, Mohhamud Yunus, condemned the violence on the media outlets and expressed his support for journalists. "To the journalists of The Daily Star, Prothom Alo, and New Age: we stand with you. We are deeply sorry for the terror and violence you have endured. The nation has witnessed your courage and tolerance in the face of terror. Attacks on journalists are attacks on truth itself. We promise you full justice," he said in a statement. (ANI)
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