Radical Islamists took to Shahbagh on Thursday night to demand justice for mob leader Sharif Osman Hadi, who died during a critical surgery in Singapore. Meanwhile, another mob carried out vandalism, looting, and arson attacks on the offices of two newspapers, supporting the jihadist-backed Yunus regime.
Members of the army and police remained onlookers when the Touhidi Janata mob carried out the attacks, being instigated by Facebook posts of expatriate mobsters Pinaki Bhattacharya and Elias Hossain, who are known as henchmen of the daily Amar Desh Editor Mahmudur Rahman, a close aide of Muhammad Yunus.
Around midnight, after some 30-35 journalists trapped on the roof of The Daily Star office at Karwan Bazar gave posts on Facebook seeking help, the army and the Fire Service intervened for less than half an hour for evacuation.
A senior army official was seen urging the mob leaders to give them 20 minutes for evacuation, following which they carried out the second spell of looting and vandalism.
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The head office of the daily Prothom Alo was not damaged, as the mob targeted its old building nearby, which houses the office of Prothoma Publications and a canteen.
Around the same time, another mob went to Dhanmondi-32 to dismantle the ruins of the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum for the fourth time since August 5, 2024. They continued breaking the brick walls till Friday afternoon, in the presence of the army and the police.
The most shocking news came from Chittagong city, where the office-cum-residence of the Indian Assistant High Commissioner came under attack from a mob.
Most commonly, in all the attacks, the mobs were chanting Naraye Taqbir and Inqilab Zindabad slogans, which are commonly used by Jamaat-Shibir and the National Citizen Party (NCP)—Yunus’ brainchild. Everywhere, the mobs carried the flags of al-Qaeda, and in Shahbagh, journalists spotted al-Qaeda cleric Jasimuddin Rahmani making an infuriating speech against India and the Awami League.
The protesters were blaming the Awami League for the shooting of Hadi on December 12 and India for sheltering the alleged shooter, who had sneaked into India.
The same night, a Hindu man was lynched and burned alive on the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway, allegedly for defaming the Prophet Mohammad amid anti-India protests by Yunus supporters. No army or police intervened to ensure the rule of law.
In fact, this protest began earlier in December when Jamaat-linked former military officers started anti-India campaigns, demanding Sheikh Hasina’s repatriation, while threatening to sever the Seven Sisters from India in line with the warnings issued by Yunus since last year.
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The demand and the threats were renewed during an all-party rally at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka on December 15, where NCP leaders and Mahmudur Rahman issued an ultimatum till December 25 for Sheikh Hasina’s repatriation. Otherwise, they threatened to destroy all Indian installations in Bangladesh and annihilate the Awami League amid the special crackdown by the joint forces, styled Operation Devil Hunt-2.
Centring the Victory Day celebrations, Jamaat-e-Islami leadership made stunning claims that they fought against the Pakistan Army in 1971, and the intellectuals were killed by the Indian forces—not the Pakistan Army and their collaborators—in their frantic attempts to distort the history of the Liberation War.
The same threats have been issued from Shahbagh from Thursday night until Friday. Political observers fear that mob attacks will increase in the future to foil the February 12 elections, when the BNP is likely to win and form the government, sending the Jamaat and the NCP to the opposition bench.
Several journalist organisations in Bangladesh have strongly condemned the vandalism, arson, and looting at the newspaper offices. These attacks trapped staff inside burning buildings and forced both publications to suspend operations.
The Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ), led by President Sazzad Alam Khan Tapu and General Secretary Akhtar Hossain, described the incidents as “unacceptable under any circumstances,” expressing shock and highlighting the severe insecurity faced by journalists and fear among their families.
They also noted the harassment of Editors’ Council President and New Age Editor Nurul Kabir while he attempted to intervene, and condemned the separate killing of journalist Imdadul Haque Milon (president of Sholua Press Club in Khulna) on December 18, demanding justice for his shooters.
The Media Freedom Coalition (a global partnership of over 50 countries promoting press freedom) called the violence “unacceptable,” stating it undermines press freedom, the public’s right to information, democratic values, and the rule of law. They emphasised that journalists must work without fear.
The Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB), in a statement by President AKM Moinuddin and General Secretary Arifuzzaman Mamun, affirmed that independent journalism is foundational to democracy. They rejected violence, intimidation, or harassment aimed at silencing the media as contrary to freedom of expression and the rule of law, urging swift investigations, perpetrator accountability, and enhanced government measures for journalist safety. DCAB also condemned the arrest of its former president, Anis Alamgir.
These groups unanimously demanded identification and prosecution of those responsible, viewing the attacks as a direct threat to media freedom and democratic principles in Bangladesh.
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