Prothom Alo’s Rajshahi office vandalised

Following Sunday’s incidents, a group of miscreants attempted to create chaos in front of the Prothom Alo headquarters in the city’s Karwan Bazar area on Monday as well.

They also attacked the Prothom Alo office in Rajshahi, vandalised and set fire to signboards on the same day.

In addition, groups of people demonstrated in Chattogram, Sylhet, Barisal, Chandpur, Munshiganj, and at Jahangirnagar University. The workers of the newspaper were threatened and harassed during these protests.

Five people were arrested in connection with the incident of creating chaos in front of the Prothom Alo office in Karwan Bazar on Sunday evening.

Some people gathered outside the Tejgaon police station in the city on Monday afternoon in a bid to put pressure on the police to release them. Later, the police released them taking signs on bonds.

The agitators brought out a procession from the police station and blocked the road in front of the Prothom Alo office and chanted slogans there. This created panic among the traders and buyers in Karwan Bazar, the largest kitchen market in the capital.

Many traders closed their shops at that time; buyers also started leaving. The army and police members were on alert at that time. In this situation, the troublemakers left the area around 4:45 pm.

Earlier, on Sunday night, it was announced on Facebook that they would gather at Shahbagh intersection and come in front of the Prothom Alo office with a procession on Monday afternoon.

However, no one was seen gathering in Shahbagh in the afternoon. The law enforcement agencies were also on high alert there.

A certain quarter had been making provocative statements and negative propaganda against Prothom Alo on social media for the last few days. A section of them announced on 25 October to lay siege to the offices of Prothom Alo and several other media outlets.

However, they could not gather that day due to widespread criticism and the strong stance of law enforcement agencies.

Later on Thursday and on Saturday and Sunday, they gathered in front of the Prothom Alo headquarters and tried to create chaos by blocking the road. On Sunday evening, law enforcement agencies dispersed them. At that time, the police lobbed tear gas shells and fired sound grenades to control the situation.

A group of troublemakers attacked, vandalised and set fire to the Rajshahi office of Prothom Alo in the Kumarpara area. They came with a procession under the banner “Alem Ulama and Tawheedi Janata, Rajshahi” at noon.

The mob tried to break into the office. At that time, they burned copies of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star newspapers.

Speaking about this, Boalia police station officer-in-charge (OC) Mehedi Hasan told Prothom Alo, “No one talked about vandalising the signboard and setting it on fire. No such incident has taken place. No one said anything.”

Later, a video of the incident was sent to the OC’s mobile phone. He did not pick up the call after that.

A group of people tried to create chaos in Chandpur as well. The people, who gathered at the town’s Hasan Ali Government High School ground, chanted various slogans against Prothom Alo and the Daily Star in the afternoon.

The Chandpur correspondent of Prothom Alo was threatened from multiple Facebook IDs. He filed a general diary with the Chandpur Model police station in this regard.

The hawkers who deliver newspapers to readers were also threatened. Some of them have expressed their concerns and apprehensions to Prothom Alo.

Some people gathered at BM College in Barisal on Sunday night and chanted slogans against Prothom Alo and The Daily Star.

Another group of people were seen gathering in front of the Barisal office of Prothom Alo at Banglabazar intersection in the town around 11:00 am. A large number of police members were present there.

Some of the people who spoke on megaphones did not reveal their identities.

Slogans were chanted against Prothom Alo and the Daily Star in Chattogram too. Some people gathered at gate no. 2 of the Biplob Udyan in the city around 3:00 pm and chanted slogans there.

Earlier, around 9:00 pm on Sunday, some people chanted slogans in front of the Prothom Alo office adjacent to Mimi Supermarket in the port city.

Some people also formed a human chain and chanted slogans against Prothom Alo and The Daily Star at Jahangirnagar University taking position on the road adjacent to the university’s Shaheed Minar around 2:45 pm on Monday.

Besides, some people gathered in the Court Point area of ​​Sylhet and chanted slogans against Prothom Alo. Slogans were also raised against Prothom Alo from a human chain in front of the Munshiganj Press Club on the day.