Prothom Alo district office attacked in Kushtia
Local journalists in Kushtia report fear and insecurity following the incident.
The district office of the daily Prothom Alo in Kushtia was attacked early hours of today (19 December) as a group of people broke in and damaged furniture and equipment.
The incident took place around 1:30am at the newspaper's district office in the Mojompur area of Kushtia town.
Witnesses said a group gathered outside the office chanting slogans before breaking the lock and entering the premises. Chairs, tables, computers, and other items were damaged during the incident.
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Locals said no members of law enforcement were seen at the scene either before or after the attack.
Protests had begun across the town from around 10pm yesterday after news spread of the death of Inqilab Mancha spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi. Demonstrators staged processions and set fires at several locations.
The attack on the Prothom Alo office followed later in the night.
Attempts to contact Prothom Alo's Kushtia correspondent Touhidi Hasan Shiplu were unsuccessful, as he was in Dhaka at the time.
Officer-in-Charge of Kushtia Model Police Station Md Kabir Hossain Matubbar said he had not received any information regarding the incident.
Meanwhile, Kushtia Superintendent of Police Mohammad Jasim Uddin told The Business Standard that the attack on the Prothom Alo office was "highly unfortunate."
"The administration is taking special measures to ensure such unwanted incidents do not recur in the future," he said.
Following the incident, local journalists in Kushtia said they were feeling unsafe and concerned about their security.
Yesterday, around midnight, many attacked and set fire to the offices of the daily Prothom Alo and subsequently The Daily Star in Dhaka.
A group of people also vandalised the Chhayanaut cultural centre building in Dhanmondi. At the time, they set a fire on the road in front of the building and staged demonstrations.
