BANGLADESH: Bangladesh woke up on Friday to an unsettling silence. The printing presses that have long carried the nation’s stories, arguments, and debates simply did not run. Overnight, violent mobs had torched the offices of the country’s two most influential newspapers, leaving journalists shaken and the future of press freedom in doubt just weeks before February’s national elections.
For many reporters, editors, and press workers, it was not just a political moment—it was personal.
The violence and assaults occurred during months of festering turmoil in a country of virtually 175 million nationals. Since a student-led insurrection in 2024 deposed long-time prime minister Sheikh Hasina from power and into expulsion in New Delhi, Bangladesh has struggled to stabilise itself. Political divisions have deepened, and anger—especially among young people—has been growing.
That anger boiled over Thursday night after the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, a popular youth leader and election candidate. Known for his outspoken criticism of India, Hadi died in a Singapore hospital days after being shot by masked attackers in Dhaka.
By sundown, clusters of people packed Dhaka’s roads. Their wrath soon turned toward representations they believed embodied dominance and treachery. The offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star—two institutions that have shaped Bangladesh’s public conversation for decades—were ransacked and set on fire. By morning, the buildings were hollowed-out shells, their newsrooms blackened and silent.
Inside The Daily Star building, journalists were still working when the attack began. As flames spread, staff rushed to the rooftop, only to find themselves trapped.
“There have been attacks on newspapers before, but never like this,” said Kamal Ahmed, the paper’s consulting editor. For nearly five hours, employees remained stranded above the burning building. “The smoke was so thick, people were gasping for breath in total darkness,” he said.
According to the paper, attackers shouted slogans accusing the outlet of being “Delhi’s lapdog” and an ally of Sheikh Hasina—claims the newspaper strongly denies. Both publications insist they are independent and have criticised governments across the political spectrum.
Military reinforcements eventually helped evacuate the staff after 4 a.m. In a statement later, The Daily Star said public anger over Hadi’s death had been manipulated to justify violence against the press.
A government on the defensive
The attacks have put intense pressure on the interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, who has struggled to contain lawlessness since taking office last August.
“This is what mob rule looks like,” said Asif Shahan, a political analyst at the University of Dhaka. “Once unleashed, it becomes very hard to control.”
Yunus’ press secretary, Shafiqul Alam, shared a rare and emotional public apology, describing frantic calls from journalists trapped inside the burning building. “I made countless calls trying to get help,” he wrote. “It didn’t arrive in time. I wish I could bury myself in shame.”
Fear, fatigue, and defiance
Bangladesh already ranks near the bottom of the World Press Freedom Index, and watchdog groups say harassment of journalists has only worsened. Over the past year, more than 1,000 media workers have faced assaults, threats, lawsuits, or worse.
The government has promised “full justice,” calling the attacks “assaults on truth itself.” But for those who lived through the night, the trauma lingers.
“The smoke was so thick we couldn’t even see our hands,” said one journalist, still shaken, asking not to be named.
For the first time in 35 years, The Daily Star missed an edition. Prothom Alo also failed to publish—its first blackout in 27 years. Both plan to resume operations, but the damage runs deeper than burned walls.
“This is the darkest day for press freedom,” said Prothom Alo Executive Editor Sajjad Sharif.
In a country standing at a political crossroads, the silence of its newspapers has become a warning—one that many fear may not be easily ignored.
