Prothom Alo Rajshahi, Bogura offices attacked

A group of people attempted to create chaos in front of the Prothom Alo's head office in the capital's Karwan Bazar yesterday.

The situation was also chaotic with provocative speeches delivered against the Bangla daily in Chattogram, Sylhet, Barishal, Chandpur, Munshiganj, and Jahangirnagar University.

The newspaper's office in Bogura came under attack last night.

In the capital, chaos ensued outside the Prothom Alo's head office as a group of people chanted slogans and blocked roads, continuing the bedlam until around 4:45pm.

Police on Sunday evening detained five people from the same area. Later that day, the detainees were released on bond.

In Rajshahi, a group of people vandalised the Prothom Alo's regional office in the city's Kumarpara and set fire to its sign yesterday afternoon.

Under the banner of "Alem Olama and Tauhidi Janata, Rajshahi", they gathered at Shaheb Bazar Zero Point. They later marched towards the Prothom Alo office, tried to break in and threw brick chunks at it.

The attackers also burned copies of the Prothom Alo and The Daily Star in front of the office.

Mehedi Hasan, officer-in-charge of Boalia Police Station, said he was unaware of the sign being broken or set on fire.

However, after videos of the incident were sent to his phone, he did not receive calls from a journalist.

In Bogura, some unidentified people attacked the Prothom Alo's local office in the town's Joleshwaritola around 10:40pm.

According to witnesses, about 15 people on five-six motorbikes reached the office. They hurled brick chunks and stones at the office, leaving a window pane broken.

The attackers also vandalised the digital sign of the office.

Chaos was also observed in Chandpur, where a group of people gathered at Hasan Ali Government High School playground yesterday afternoon. They chanted slogans against the Prothom Alo and The Daily Star.

Agitators took out processions, formed human chains, and delivered provocative speeches against the two newspapers in Chattogram, Sylhet, Barishal, Chandpur and Munshiganj.