Attacks on Prothom Alo, Daily Star, 2 cultural organisations: 31 suspects identified, 9 arrested
Law enforcement agencies have arrested at least nine people in raids carried out across Dhaka and other parts of the country up to Monday morning in connection with attacks on the offices of the national dailies Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, as well as two cultural organisations, Chhayanaut and Udichi.
The information was disclosed in a press release posted on the chief adviser’s verified Facebook page at 10:31 am today, Monday.
Late on Thursday (18 December) night, assailants vandalised and looted the offices of Prothom Alo in Karwan Bazar and The Daily Star on Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue in the capital. Both offices were later set on fire. On the same night, shortly after midnight, the historic cultural institution Chhayanaut was attacked at its premises in Dhanmondi.
Following the attacks on Prothom Alo, The Daily Star and Chhayanaut, a fire broke out on Friday night at the central office of the cultural organisation Udichi Shilpigoshthi on Topkhana Road in Dhaka. Amit Ranjan Dey, general secretary for a section of Udichi, alleged that the fire had been set deliberately.
According to the press release, the identities of seven of the arrested individuals have been confirmed instantly. They are Md Kashem Faruqi, Md Saidur Rahman, Rakib Hossain, Md Naim, Faisal Ahmed Pranto, Md Sohel Rana and Md Shafiqul Islam.
The release further said that the police’s Counter Terrorism Unit and the Detective Branch have arrested two more individuals whose identities are currently being verified.
It was also stated that on Sunday, the police and other law enforcement agencies informed Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus that video footage analysis had led to the preliminary identification of 31 suspects involved in the recent attacks.
Separately, three individuals have been identified through video footage for attempting to create disorder near the residence of the Indian Assistant High Commissioner in Chattogram.
The press release said that the arrested Kashem Faruqi is a former student of Al-Jamia Al-Islamia Qasemul Uloom Madrasa in Bogura and currently resides in Mohammadpur, Dhaka. Md Saidur Rahman is a resident of Noakanda village in Bhanga upazila of Faridpur district.
Rakib Hossain, a resident of Sherpur district, has been identified in video footage as an active participant in the vandalism and arson at Prothom Alo and The Daily Star. Photographs of the destruction were posted from his ID, and he also made inciting posts on Facebook.
Md Naim, a resident of Kunipara area in Tejgaon, Dhaka, was arrested from Chauddagram upazila in Cumilla along with Tk 50,000 looted in the incident.
During preliminary interrogation, Naim confessed to looting a total of Tk 123,000. Using the stolen money, he purchased a television and a refrigerator from Mohammadpur, both of which have since been recovered.
Md Sohel Rana was arrested from the Karwan Bazar railway line area. He has 13 cases filed against him at various police stations in Dhaka on charges including narcotics offences.
Md Shafiqul Islam, arrested from the same area, has two previous cases filed against him over allegations of involvement in arson and cocktail explosions.
Preliminary interrogation of the other arrested individuals is ongoing.
Earlier, at 9:43 am today, Monday another press release from the chief adviser’s verified Facebook page stated that 31 people had been identified as suspects in the attacks on the two national dailies and the two cultural organisations.
It said that at least six people had been arrested in operations conducted across Dhaka and other parts of the country up to Monday morning, and efforts were continuing to arrest the remaining identified suspects.
The same press release said a meeting to review the overall law-and-order situation in the country was held on Sunday at the state guest house Jamuna, chaired by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus.
The meeting was attended by Home Affairs Adviser Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman, and senior officials from various security and law-enforcement agencies.
Discussions at the meeting covered security measures surrounding the return to the country of BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, as well as preparations for the upcoming Christmas and New Year celebrations.
The meeting also reviewed in detail the progress of arrests and investigations related to the killing of Inquilab Moncho spokesperson and July fighter Shaheed Sharif Osman Hadi.
Police informed the chief adviser that video footage had been reviewed and 31 individuals had already been identified as suspects in the recent attacks on the offices of the two national dailies and the two cultural organisations. Operations to arrest the remaining suspects are ongoing.
Additionally, three individuals have been identified through video footage for attempting to create chaos near the residence of the Indian Assistant High Commissioner in Chattogram.
At Sunday afternoon’s meeting, the chief adviser instructed authorities to swiftly arrest those involved in the killing of Osman Hadi and other unlawful activities.
During the meeting the chief adviser said that law and order must be maintained at any cost ahead of the upcoming national elections.