A section within the government was involved: Nahid Islam

Convener of the National Citizen Party (NCP) Nahid Islam has described the attacks, vandalism, and arson at Prothom Alo and The Daily Star as unfortunate. He said that a section within the government was involved in the incidents.

Nahid Islam said, “They carried out the attacks using our slogans and created consent in favour of it. After this incident, we said that a section within the government was involved. Consent in society had been created in favour of this for a long time, and there is also political backing behind it. If these three factors had not come together, no one would have had the courage to do something on such a scale that night.”

A joint protest meeting titled “Bangladesh hit by mob violence” was organised by the Editors’ Council and the Newspaper Owners’ Association of Bangladesh (NOAB) at Pan Pacific Sonargaon in the capital on Monday. The meeting was held in protest against the attacks and arson at the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, as well as the harassment of Editors’ Council president and New Age editor Nurul Kabir when he went there to express solidarity, at around 11:00 am.

After the protest meeting, the participants formed a human chain on the road beside Pan Pacific Sonargaon. Leaders of various political parties, representatives of professional bodies, business organisations, journalists’ organisations, and members of civil society from different walks of life joined the programme in solidarity.

NCP convener Nahid Islam commented that the entire incident of the attacks and arson at the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star was planned. He said, “Sharif Osman Hadi’s death could be made to look like an accident, and there was a conspiracy in place beforehand about what events would be carried out in Bangladesh after that. We believe that all of us bear responsibility for this. Those of us who took part in the July mass uprising bear even greater responsibility.”

Nahid Islam said, “It is very clear who created consent for the incident that night and who went there and carried out the attacks. I believe it is the government’s responsibility… We all must collectively press the government to ensure a proper investigation and justice for this incident.”

Commenting on the attacks and arson at the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, the NCP leader said, “After that incident that night, we felt even more strongly that there are not 500 people in Dhaka who could have gone in front of that building and created barricades—it seemed even more unfortunate to us.”

Late on Thursday night, the country’s leading newspaper Prothom Alo became the target of a deliberate and organised attack. The newspaper’s office was vandalised, set on fire, and looted, leaving the premises destroyed.

On the same night, The Daily Star office was also attacked, vandalised, set on fire, and looted. When the Editors’ Council president, Nurul Kabir, went there to show solidarity, he was harassed. Many have described the incidents as a “black day for the media” and expressed protest and condemnation. Observers say these attacks amount to an assault on independent media. That night, the Chhayanaut building was also attacked and set on fire. The following evening, Friday, the Udichi office was attacked and set ablaze.