Media offices torched, journalists targeted; uneasy calm in Dhaka after night of violent riot following Osman Hadi’s death

Bangladesh erupts in protest following Sharif Osman Hadiâs death-getty images

An uneasy calm prevailed in Dhaka and several other cities of Bangladesh after intense unrest late Thursday night following the death of Inqilab Moncho convenor Sharif Osman bin Hadi. Mobs attacked media houses, political offices, cultural institutions and private residences, triggering widespread vandalism, arson and road blockades, BD News24 reported.

The night-long unrest marked one of the most severe episodes of violence targeting media institutions in recent years, leaving journalists traumatised and large parts of the country on edge.

One of the most serious incidents occurred at Karwan Bazar, where the offices of English-language daily The Daily Star and Bangla daily Prothom Alo were attacked. In Chattogram, a group of protesters staged a sit-in outside the Indian Assistant High Commission, according to BD News24.

A journalist said newsroom staff at The Daily Star were alerted by a phone call that a mob, after vandalising the Prothom Alo office, was heading towards their building.

As staff attempted to evacuate, the crowd reached the ground floor, vandalised the building and set it on fire. Thick smoke quickly filled the premises, forcing journalists to abandon attempts to descend. A group fled to the rooftop on the 10th floor, where 28 people became trapped.

The journalist recounted that a canteen worker attempted to escape using an external fire-exit ladder but was caught and beaten by the mob upon reaching the ground. After witnessing this, no one else dared to climb down.

Fire Service personnel later extinguished the blaze on the lower floors, and four firefighters climbed to the rooftop to evacuate those trapped. However, with attackers continuing to vandalise the building below, staff refused to come down and shut the rooftop door, BD News24 reported.

Firefighters attempted to reassure those inside, telling them that Army personnel were present below.

Senior journalist Zyma Islam posted on Facebook during the ordeal, saying, “I can’t breathe. So much smoke. I’m inside. You are trying to kill me.”

Another journalist said that although some staff were initially helped down, the firefighters themselves later became stranded.

Editors’ Council President and New Age Editor Nurul Kabir, along with photographer Shahidul Alam, arrived at the scene and attempted to calm the attackers. Instead, Kabir was harassed, verbally abused as an “Awami League agent”, jostled by the crowd and had his hair pulled, according to videos circulating online.

Later, Army personnel strategically opened one side of the staircase. Attackers surged upward through that route, resuming vandalism and looting.

Eventually, The Daily Star staff trapped on the rooftop and inside the building were evacuated through the fire-exit staircase and taken out from the rear of the building. The evacuation was completed around 3:45 am.

Reports said at least 25 The Daily Star journalists were rescued from the office after more than four hours.

Recalling the night, one journalist said, “We were lucky — we narrowly escaped a major disaster today. I don’t know where this country is headed.”

Following the attacks, both Prothom Alo and The Daily Star announced they would not publish Friday editions. BBC Bangla reported that online operations at both outlets were also nearly paralysed.

Citing senior officials, the report said all staff were ordered to evacuate immediately after the attacks, making printing and digital operations impossible.

Unrest also spread beyond Karwan Bazar. In Dhanmondi, the cultural institution Chhayanaut was attacked after 1 am. Protesters broke in through a rear entrance, carried out extensive vandalism and looting, and later set fire to the building’s frontage. Police and military personnel later brought the situation under control.

In Rajshahi, Somoy TV reported that an Awami League office was demolished using a bulldozer. In Chattogram, protesters torched the residence of former city mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury (Nowfel) in the Sholoshahar area around 11:15 pm.

The house, located on Mayor Goli in Chashma Hill, had been used by his son, former education minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury Nowfel.

Road blockades were reported across multiple districts. In Jhalakathi, protesters marched from College Mor at 11 pm and blocked the Barisal–Khulna regional highway, setting fires and halting traffic well past midnight. In Barisal, students blocked three points along the Dhaka–Barisal–Kuakata Highway, including Nathullabad Bus Terminal and Hatem Ali College Choumatha, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded for nearly 45 minutes. Protesters raised slogans against India and the Awami League.

Student protests also erupted in Dhaka and elsewhere. At Shahbagh, leaders and activists from the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) and several student organisations gathered, with marches led by the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and participation by Chhatra Union members.

Former Advisory Council members Nahid Islam, Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain and Mahfuj Alam joined the gathering.

Jagannath University students blocked roads in Old Dhaka’s Tantibazar, with female students from Nawab Faizunnesa Chowdhurani Hall also joining the protest.

Amid the escalating violence, Inqilab Moncho issued a late-night Facebook appeal urging restraint. The organisation warned against violence, vandalism and arson, saying such actions were aimed at weakening Bangladesh as a state.

“As the February elections approach, consider who truly benefits if unrest is created in the country,” the statement said, calling on citizens to cooperate with the government and maintain stability.