Dhaka, Dec 19: At least 25 journalists of The Daily Star were rescued early Friday morning after being trapped for more than four hours when a mob attacked and set fire to newspaper offices in Dhaka’s Kawran Bazar area, according to BD News.
The violence erupted around midnight when an angry crowd first targeted the offices of the Bengali-language daily Prothom Alo, vandalising the premises before setting it ablaze. Shortly after, the mob turned its attention to the nearby office of The Daily Star, an English-language daily.
Attackers vandalised the ground and first floors of The Daily Star building before setting it on fire around 12:30 am. The blaze quickly spread to two floors, sending thick plumes of smoke into the air. Journalists working the night shift fled to the rooftop to escape the smoke and flames, pleading for help through phone calls and social media posts.
“I can’t breathe anymore. There’s too much smoke. I am inside. You are killing me,” The Daily Star reporter Zyma Islam wrote in a distress message shared during the incident.
Firefighters initially struggled to reach the building as the crowd blocked access, reporters told BD News. The fire was eventually brought under control around 2 am, but journalists remained trapped inside as the mob reportedly stormed the building even after the flames were extinguished.
The journalists were finally rescued around 4 am after the Army was deployed outside the building. Soldiers escorted them to safety. New Age Editor Nurul Kabir, who had gone to the site to speak to the crowd, was also assaulted, according to reports.
The incident occurred despite an appeal for calm by Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, who had earlier urged citizens to maintain restraint and allow law enforcement agencies to conduct investigations professionally.
“I make a sincere appeal to all citizens of the country maintain patience and restraint,” Yunus said in a national address. “The state is fully committed to establishing the rule of law and advancing democratic progress.”
The attacks on the media houses have raised serious concerns over press freedom and the safety of journalists amid escalating unrest in the country.