Dhaka, Dec 21 (NationPress) Journalists in Bangladesh organized protests in response to arson incidents and destruction at the media offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star. They are demanding the swift arrest and punishment of those responsible for these acts. Protesters warned that ongoing impunity could threaten both press freedom and public safety, according to reports from local media on Sunday.

In Gazipur, hundreds of journalists formed a human chain to express their outrage over the attacks and the assault on journalist Nurul Kabir. Speakers at the protest called for the apprehension of the assailants and issued a 24-hour ultimatum, threatening to escalate their actions if no measures were taken by the deadline, as reported by Bangladesh's prominent daily, The Daily Star.

Similarly, journalists in Satkhira also created a human chain, seeking justice for those responsible for the assaults on media outlets and the murder of Imdadul Haqueb, President of the Dumuria Sholua Press Club, in Khulna.

The Electronic Media Journalists Association (EMJA) in Sylhet denounced the violence against media professionals and institutions in Bangladesh. In a statement, EMJA President Ashraful Kabir and General Secretary Sakib Ahmed Mithu condemned the attacks on media outlets, the killing of a journalist in Khulna, and the harassment faced by journalists from 71 Television in Sylhet.

This unrest was triggered by the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson for the radical group Inqilab Mancha. Following his demise, various media offices, cultural institutions, and diplomatic missions were targeted across Bangladesh.

The assaults focused on the offices of the country's leading newspapers, Prothom Alo and The Daily Star; the national cultural institution Chhayanaut; the Indian Assistant High Commission offices in Chattogram and Khulna; the Indian Cultural Centre; and the remaining structures of the Bangabandhu memorial museum, a significant symbol of the nation's history.

On December 20, the Awami League party in Bangladesh condemned the series of nationwide attacks targeting media establishments, cultural institutions, and foreign diplomatic missions, labeling them as a “planned terrorist attack”. The party asserted that such incidents demonstrate a decline in the essential characteristics of a modern, civilized state in the country.

“These barbaric attacks and killings represent a direct and severe assault on Bangladesh’s secular ethos, the ideals of the Liberation War, pluralism, cultural heritage, and media freedom. As an independent, sovereign, and pluralistic state, Bangladesh has become a haven for terrorists. Targeting cultural institutions and the diplomatic missions of another country is a gross violation of decency and state security, and a blatant breach of diplomatic norms and international law,” stated the Awami League.

Criticizing the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, the party remarked, “The entire state machinery has succumbed to extremist communal frenzy, with the committee referring to itself as a government acting as an active supporter.”