Business leaders condemn attacks on Prothom Alo-The Daily Star
Leading business leaders of the country have condemned and protested the attacks, arson and looting carried out by extremists and miscreants at the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, as well as the harassment of Nurul Kabir, editor of New Age and president of the Editors’ Council. They said the government must prove that it does not intend to harm business and commerce in the country or destabilise it by disrupting the media. They also said the government must ensure the safety of people’s lives and property.
Business leaders made these remarks at a joint protest meeting titled ‘Bangladesh hit by violence’. The protest was organised by the Editors’ Council, the organisation of newspaper editors, and the Newspaper Owners’ Association of Bangladesh (NOAB), in protest against the attacks and arson at the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, and the harassment of Nurul Kabir, editor of New Age and president of the Editors’ Council.
The protest meeting was held at the Sonargaon Hotel in the capital yesterday, Monday. After the meeting, a human chain was formed on the road beside the Sonargaon Hotel.
Leaders of various political parties, professional bodies, business organisations and journalists’ organisations, as well as representatives of civil society, lawyers, human rights activists, cultural workers and people from different walks of life came to express solidarity at the protest meeting and human chain. Many of the speakers also protested the attacks on the Chhayanaut building and the Udichi office.
Former president of the Bangladesh Cement Manufacturers Association (BCMA) Alamgir Kabir said, “We are expressing solidarity at today’s protest meeting. Our question to the government is this: do you want to destroy our country’s economy? Do you want to harm business and trade? Or do you want to destabilise the country by disrupting the media? If you do not want to do these things, then you must prove it.”
President of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) Kamran T Rahman said, “We have come here today to condemn the incidents that took place and to express our solidarity.”
At the same meeting, Mahbubur Rahman, president of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Bangladesh, said democracy in Bangladesh would not be able to flourish unless tolerance of differing views was developed, warning that the days ahead could otherwise become even more difficult. Observing that democracy has come under attack during every government’s tenure, he said, “If we cannot tolerate differences of opinion, there is a real risk that we will suffer even greater losses in the days ahead.”
Mahbubur Rahman said that Prothom Alo and the Daily Star are not spokespeople for anyone. They do not represent any party or ideology; they have tried and continue to try to practise independent journalism.
Expressing concern over the prevailing law and order situation, Anwar Ul Alam Chowdhury Parvez, president of the Bangladesh Chamber of Industries (BCI), said, “Our sole demand from the government is to ensure the safety of our lives and property. We demand an immediate peaceful election and the subsequent transfer of power to the next elected government.”
At the meeting, Masrur Arefin, managing director of City Bank and chairman of the Association of Bankers Bangladesh (ABB), spoke in solidarity. He said, “I do not understand when or how Chayanat got involved in any politics. Similarly, I do not understand when brother Nurul Kabir became an accomplice of fascists—I simply do not know. Likewise, I do not know when my dear Mati Bhai (Prothom Alo editor Matiur Rahman) acted as a mediator for anyone, or when Mahfuz Bhai (Daily Star editor) became an associate of Sheikh Hasina. These are big questions.”
Business leaders who came to show solidarity at the protest meeting included Mir Nasir Hossain, Fazlul Haque, Kutubuddin Ahmed, Nihad Kabir, Ahsan Khan Chowdhury, Syed Nasim Manzur, Moinul Islam, Taskeen Ahmed, Rizwan Rahman, Preeti Chakraborty, and Naser Ejaz Bijoy, among others.
Expressing gratitude to all who came to show solidarity, NOAB president and business leader A K Azad said that one message resonated throughout the protest meeting: everyone must stand united in resistance. He added, “Our voices cannot be silenced. The struggle will continue until those who set fire at Prothom Alo, Daily Star, Chhayanaut, and Udichi are brought to justice and journalists can exercise their freedom of expression.”
Late Thursday night, the country’s leading newspaper Prothom Alo fell victim to a deliberate and organised attack by extremist terrorists. After vandalising and looting, the attackers set fire to the office. On the same night, the Daily Star office was also vandalised and looted before being set ablaze. At that time, when visiting the Daily Star office to protect journalists, the president of the Editors’ Council, Nurul Kabir, was harassed. Many have condemned the incidents, calling it a ‘dark day for the media’. In addition to the two newspaper offices, attacks were also carried out at the Chhayanaut office on Thursday and the Udichi office on Friday.