Daijiworld Media Network - Dhaka

Dhaka, Dec 19: The death of 32-year-old Sharif Osman Hadi, a youth leader from Bangladesh, has triggered fresh unrest in the country, with violent protests erupting in the capital late on Tuesday night. Hundreds of Hadi’s supporters gathered at a central square in Dhaka, with the agitation quickly spiralling into attacks on leading newspaper offices.

According to witnesses, protesters first targeted the Bengali-language daily Prothom Alo, reaching the premises around 11 pm while chanting slogans. The crowd allegedly vandalised the building before setting parts of it on fire around midnight.

The mob later moved to the office of English daily The Daily Star, where the ground and first floors were ransacked and set ablaze. Journalists and staff members were reportedly trapped inside the smoke-filled building as the fire spread.

“I can’t breathe anymore. There’s too much smoke. I’m inside. You are killing me,” The Daily Star reporter Zyma Islam posted on Facebook during the incident.

Local media outlet bdnews24 reported that at least 25 journalists from The Daily Star were rescued after being trapped for nearly four hours following the attack at the Kawran Bazar office. Night shift staff had moved to the terrace to save their lives as the mob surrounded the building.

While the fire was brought under control around 2 am, it took several more hours for security personnel to safely evacuate those inside, as protesters continued to charge the premises. The Army has since been deployed in front of The Daily Star building to prevent further violence.

The motive behind targeting the two newspapers remains unclear. Both Prothom Alo and The Daily Star are known for their perceived passive support of Muhammad Yunus and the interim government, according to local reports.

Tension continues to prevail in parts of Dhaka as authorities remain on high alert.