How newspapers in Bangladesh covered the Dhaka terror attack

Twenty hostages have been killed in the attack along with two police officers and six terrorists. 30 people were left injured while thirteen of the hostages were rescued, including one Argentine, two Sri Lankans and two Bangladeshis.

Claiming responsibility for the attack, the Islamic State released photos on social media platform of foreigners who they claimed died in the attack.

While Bangladeshi television channels stopped the Live broadcast of the combat operations at the request of Rapid Action Battalion, major newspapers across the country covered the event in different ways.

                                                                       SAMAKAL

Bengali newspaper Samakal carried a headline that read ‘Raate roktakto Gulshan’ (Blood-soaked Gulshan at night), which referred to the bloody mayhem that ensued on Friday night leaving two officers dead and many wounded. The other stories on the front page covered different aspects of the attack, including a copy on Rabiul Islam, the slain Assistant Commissioner of Detective Branch of Police.

                                                                     PROTHOM ALO

The front page of Prothom Alo carried the Bangladesh attack as the main story but included other national stories on the front page. The headline mentioned about the terrorist attack on the restaurant in the Gulshan district of Dhaka while the copy delved into details provided by two eyewitnesses, whom the newspaper quoted saying, “Eight to ten men forcibly entered the restaurant, one of them had a sword in his hand, while the others had ammunition. They entered and fired in the air.” The eyewitness, an employee of the restaurant recalls his horrific experience and how he jumped from the terrace of the cafe to escape the hostage situation.

                                                                        KAALER KONTHO

Kaaler Kontho newspaper focused on the hostage crisis. The headline read ‘Nojirbihin haamla, 22 bideshi jimmai’ ( Sudden attack, 22 foreigners taken hostage) by mentioning in their main headline that 22 foreigners were taken as hostage. The newspaper also carried a report, quoting an employee, “They stormed inside the cafe around 8.45 pm, said ‘Allah-hu-Akbar’, opened fire and then proceeded toward the first floor.”

                                                                         AAMADER SAMAY

Aamader Samay news website too carried out stories on the Dhaka cafe attack linked several other related stories to their main copy. The news website focused on the on-going operations, Prime Minister’s reaction, and even Obama’s reaction to the attack claimed by ISIS.

                                                                          NAYA DIGANTA

The main story on the news website of Naya Diganto carried updates on the on-going operation. The other stories included reactions on the Dhaka attack and the casualties.

                                                                     THE DAILY STAR

The Daily Star website carried multiple stories on the Dhaka cafe attack, with one emphasizing on the Italian hostages trapped in the Gulshan cafe seige. They also carried a story wherein the US State Department said that it “cannot yet confirm” the Dhaka attack’s link to ISIS.

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