Case filed against 500 unidentified people over attack on Prothom Alo office
The case was filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act today, with the FIR stating that assets worth Tk2.50 crore were looted, with an estimated total damage of Tk32 crore
A case has been filed against 400 to 500 unidentified people in connection with the attack, vandalism, looting and arson at the Prothom Alo office in the capital's Karwan Bazar area.
The case was filed at around 12:10am today (22 December) under the Anti-Terrorism Act, reports Prothom Alo.
Notably, a group of agitated protesters attacked the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star late Thursday night (18 December).
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According to police and eyewitness accounts, the protesters forced their way into the building, threw out documents and furniture, and set them on fire.
The four-storey building was vandalised extensively before being set ablaze, causing significant damage to the structure and its contents. Fire service personnel later brought the blaze under control.
Case details
According to the First Information Report (FIR), the accused are charged with rioting, unlawful entry, looting, vandalism, arson with intent to kill, intimidation and destruction of evidence.
The case also includes allegations of attempting to halt the publication of Prothom Alo and obstructing office work, inciting criminal activities through online instructions, and carrying out acts of sabotage.
The FIR states that assets worth Tk2.50 crore were looted during the attack, while Prothom Alo estimated the total damage at Tk32 crore.
According to the statement, at around 11:15pm on Thursday, 20 to 30 unidentified people, armed with local weapons, sticks and flammable materials, gathered in front of the Prothom Alo office in Karwan Bazar and attempted to launch an attack.
When police intervened, they remained in front of the office, chanting provocative slogans, while calling others by phone and posting on social media to mobilise more people and incite violence.
By around 11:50pm, about 400 to 500 people had assembled from different parts of Dhaka. The FIR states that they broke the glass and shutters at the office gate and carried out vandalism, looting and arson.
The attackers threw furniture, equipment and documents from the building and set them on fire. The FIR alleges that about 150 computers and laptops, other electrical equipment, cash from lockers and books from Prothoma Prokashan were looted.
The building's fire extinguishing system was damaged, CCTV cameras were broken to destroy evidence, and attempts by the Fire Service to douse the flames were obstructed.
As a result of the attack, Prothom Alo suspended publication for one day for the first time in its 27-year history, apart from holidays, while its online edition remained suspended for about 17 hours.
The FIR adds that CCTV footage from the office and video recordings from various media outlets are available as evidence.
