Daily Star, Prothom Alo resume online editions, prints from today
They resumed their online and print operations after they had been suspended following vandalism and arson attacks on their offices early yesterday in the wake of the death of Inqilab Mancha spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi
Bangladesh's two leading newspapers, The Daily Star and Prothom Alo, resumed their online and print operations after they had been suspended following vandalism and arson attacks on their offices early yesterday in the wake of the death of Inqilab Mancha spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi.
In a Facebook post yesterday, The Daily Star said, "Following vandalism and arson at our office on Friday night, The Daily Star's publications are temporarily disrupted. We sincerely apologise to our readers and appreciate your patience as we work to restore our services."
Prothom Alo said in a separate statement, "The Prothom Alo office was subjected to extensive attacks, vandalism, and arson. As a result, it was not possible to continue our normal operations. Therefore, the print version of Prothom Alo could not be published on Friday."
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"We are seeking the cooperation of our readers in this regard," the national daily added.
Senior officials of the two dailies told BBC Bangla that employees were evacuated amid the sudden attacks and fires. Due to the situation, office operations were suspended, and the print editions of both newspapers could not be published yesterday.
The suspension follows extensive damage to newsroom infrastructure, leaving journalists shaken.
Violence erupted shortly before midnight when large groups of protesters stormed the Prothom Alo office in Karwan Bazar, smashing equipment, destroying workstations, and setting fire to furniture and documents.
Hours later, a similar attack targeted the nearby Daily Star building, where fires broke out on the lower floors, filling the newsroom with thick smoke.
Journalists and staff working night shifts were forced to flee for safety, with several taking shelter on rooftops for hours before being rescued by fire service personnel.
No fatalities were reported, though several employees suffered from smoke inhalation and shock. Two firefighters were injured after being electrocuted while extinguishing a fire at the Prothom Alo building.
Meanwhile, Nurul Kabir, editor of the daily New Age, was harassed and pushed by a group of protesters while visiting the site to assess the situation of journalists trapped during the attack on the Daily Star office.
