'I can't breathe anymore, there's too much smoke': Daily Star journos' accounts of attack, fire at their office

Employees of The Daily Star endured a night of terror as a fire ripped through the national daily's Karwan Bazar office early today (19 December).

The Daily Star temporarily suspended its print and online operations following a devastating fire attack on its office building during violent unrest in the capital following the death of Inqilab Mancha spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi yesterday.

Zyma Islam, senior reporter at the Daily Star, wrote on Facebook, "I can't breathe anymore. There's too much smoke. I'm inside. You are killing me."

"I pray a day like this never repeats in my life. I was this close to death. Best wishes for everyone," wrote The Daily Star Chief Reporter Partha Pratim Bhattacharjee.

Meanwhile, The Daily Star photojournalist Prabir Das broke down in tears when he came to his workplace. This morning, there was no camera or lens in his hands; instead, others were taking photographs of him. Colleagues were offering words of comfort.

Prabir said, "All my memories, the photographs I have taken over so many years of my career -- four or five hard drives…" 

Meanwhile, Naziba Basher, senior sub-editor at the newspaper, wrote on Facebook last night, "'Ma, I am home. You can now sleep' -- finally I could say these words."

Last night, Subrata Roy, a sub-editor stranded with colleagues on The Daily Star's rooftop, told TBS over the phone, "There is too much smoke in the building. Firefighters are struggling to come up using the stairs amid heavy smoke. It is pretty tough to breathe even up here. We are breathing through handkerchiefs and other articles of clothing."

All of them were safely rescued early today with no report of any major injury. 

Angry protesters set The Daily Star office on fire in the early hours of today, following the vandalism and torching of the Prothom Alo building at Karwan Bazar, as unrest over the death of Inqilab Mancha leader Sharif Osman Hadi escalated late last night.

Firefighters brought the blaze at The Daily Star under control at 1:40am, with two units from Tejgaon Fire Station on the scene, said Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters Inspector Anwarul Islam.

All staffers were successfully taken to a safe place by 4:30am, said reporter Mahmud Hasan.

"Thanks to the Bangladesh Army and the Fire Service. Special thanks to an army major whose valour today matched that of 'Major Rana,' the iconic fictional hero from Masud Rana series created by Kazi Anwar Hossain, for leading the evacuation operation," Mahmud wrote in a Facebook post.