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.

*More to follow...