‘We have shed blood; we’ll shed more’: Daily Star details how Bangladesh protesters set offices on fire and trapped journalists

At The Daily Star’s office on Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue, attackers forced their way in around midnight, smashing furniture, damaging equipment and setting fire to the building. According to the newspaper, equipment was looted and protesters blocked access for fire service vehicles. As smoke filled corridors and stairwells, at least 28 journalists and staff members were trapped for hours. They were rescued around dawn by members of the army and firefighters. The building was left without electricity, water or gas, forcing The Daily Star to miss its print edition for the first time in its 34-year history.

Check the LIVE UPDATES on the death of Bangladesh activist Sharif Osman Hadi and the protests and violence in Dhaka here.

Protesters looted computers, cameras

The report recalls that furniture and bundles of newspapers kept on the ground floor were set on fire and flames spread to the second floor. Another group dragged furniture onto the road in front of the building and burned it there. The attackers moved through the first to sixth floors, breaking computers and furniture and looting electronic devices, including computers, cameras and hard drives. Food items from the office canteen were also taken.

As the fire spread, thick black smoke filled corridors and stairwells. At least 28 journalists and staff fled upward and took refuge on the rooftop, where breathing became increasingly difficult.

“I can’t breathe anymore. There’s too much smoke. I’m inside. You are killing me,” investigative journalist Zyma Islam wrote on Facebook around 1:00 AM.

Witnesses said protesters blocked a fire service vehicle when it tried to reach the office, forcing it to turn back and delaying rescue efforts.

Protesters outside The Daily Star accused the two newspapers of responsibility for the circumstances surrounding Hadi’s killing. The Daily Star said the protesters called the newspapers “Delhi’s lapdog”.

The protesters raised slogans of “Delhi or Dhaka: Dhaka, Dhaka”, “Sycophancy or movement; movement, movement”, and “We have shed blood; we will shed more”, they shouted while demanding punishment for Hadi’s killers.

ALSO READ | 7 arrested in Bangladesh Hindu man lynching case, says interim govt chief Yunus

What happened at Prothom Alo?

A parallel assault unfolded at Prothom Alo’s headquarters in Karwan Bazar. Beginning late in the evening, a group gathered outside the building, chanting slogans and issuing threats. After initial police resistance, the crowd swelled to several hundred people and launched a full-scale attack.

The glass facade was shattered, the main gate broken, and fires were set after furniture was piled together. The mob disabled fire safety systems, vandalised CCTV cameras and looted more than 150 computers and laptops, along with cash and personal belongings. Floors were ransacked and a neighbouring building was threatened by spreading flames before firefighters gained access hours later.

Two firefighters were injured, as were several Prothom Alo employees. The newspaper was unable to publish its Friday print edition for the first time in its 27-year history, and online operations were also disrupted.

Other incidents of arson, vandalism

Elsewhere in Dhaka, violence continued through the night. In Dhanmondi, a mob attacked Chhayanaut Bhaban, breaching barricades, damaging musical instruments, artworks and documents, and setting parts of the building on fire after disabling security measures. Authorities later brought the blaze under control. Nearby, demolition of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s residence at Dhanmondi-32 continued using heavy machinery.

Separate incidents were reported at the central office of Bangladesh Udichi Shilpigoshthi, which was set on fire, and in Uttara, where protesters torched a house belonging to a relative of a former lawmaker. Outside Dhaka, unrest was reported in Chattogram, where police detained protesters following stone-throwing at the Assistant Indian High Commission, and in Rajshahi, where demonstrators demolished an already damaged Awami League office using a bulldozer.

What is the situation in Bangladesh now?

No fresh protest or incident was reported on Saturday. People from across Bangladesh are pouring into Dhaka for Hadi’s funeral. Hadi will be laid to rest at 2 PM on Saturday at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban (Bangladesh Parliament) in Dhaka. A rally could be held demanding action against the attackers after the funeral.

From Thursday midnight to Friday night at least five major incidents of arson were reported in and around Dhaka. The home of India’s Assistant High Commissioner was also allegedly attacked.

Meanwhile, Prothom Alo reported that the Md Yunus government has asked Meta to take down violence-inciting hate content from its platforms like Facebook and Instagram.