Advisor Sakhawat Hossain inspects charred Prothom Alo office

Shipping adviser Brigadier General (Retd.) M Sakhawat Hossain both personal and on behalf of the government has expressed regret over the attacks on the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star.

Noting that Bangladesh is on the path of democratic progress, the advisor said, “There are many people with various agendas now. Some have the agenda to create chaos. The elections are approaching, and there is a conspiracy to disrupt them. Even so, the government is maintaining the highest level of vigilance and is making efforts.”

On Sunday morning, Sakhawat Hossain visited the Prothom Alo office in Karwan Bazar, Dhaka, to inspect the damage. On the night of 18 December, the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star were burned, vandalised, and attacked. The advisor surveyed the damaged buildings and expressed solidarity after speaking with senior staff of Prothom Alo.

Advisor Sakhawat Hossain commented that the fact Prothom Alo was able to publish its print edition and resume its online operations just one day after such a major incident demonstrates the resilience of the institution.

He said, “We should take the lesson from this to ensure such incidents do not happen in the future. To maintain a country’s democratic environment, I believe the media plays a crucial role. I call the media the eyes of the government. Therefore, care must be taken so that the media is not used as a tool for personal revenge.”

Highlighting that the country is moving toward democratic progress after 17 years of darkness under the previous Awami League government, Sakhawat Hossain expressed hope that political parties will also learn from the Prothom Alo and The Daily Star incident.

He added that the interim government’s time is limited, and the next political government will monitor the media. It should not favour or oppose anyone; instead, everyone must work together to move the country forward.