Journalists, politicians, writers, business leaders, and civil society figures on Monday called for a united national stand to protect media freedom, sharply questioning the government’s response to mob violence targeting leading newspapers, Prothom Alo and The Daily Star.
The call came at a protest meeting titled “Bangladesh Under the Attack of Mob Violence”, organized jointly by the Newspaper Owners’ Association of Bangladesh (NOAB) and the Editors’ Council in Dhaka, following coordinated attacks involving vandalism, looting, and arson at the offices of the two newspapers.
The gathering drew leaders from across the political spectrum, senior journalists, rights activists, academics, and business figures, all warning that the assault on the media represented a grave threat to democracy and freedom of expression.
Addressing the meeting, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the violence went far beyond attacks on individual institutions.
“An attack on newspapers is an attack on democracy and on the spirit of the July Uprising,” he said.
“Now it is no longer enough just to be aware. We must stand up against these dark forces.”
Expressing deep personal anguish, Fakhrul added: “I do not know what kind of Bangladesh we are living in at this moment. I am 78 years old and have spent my entire life struggling for an independent, sovereign, and democratic Bangladesh. The Bangladesh I see today is not one I ever dreamt of.”
He urged democratic forces to rise above party lines, stressing that freedom of expression itself was under attack.
“This is not about The Daily Star or Prothom Alo alone. Today, democracy itself has been attacked,” he said.
‘They wanted to kill journalists’
The Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam, recounting the December 18 attack on his newspaper’s office, said the violence posed a direct threat to life.
“About 25 or 26 of my colleagues were trapped on the rooftop, and the Fire Service was not allowed to enter,” he said.
“What does that mean? They did not just want to burn the building, they wanted to kill The Daily Star staff.”
He warned that freedom of expression had moved beyond abstract principles.
“Freedom of expression is now a matter of survival. We are standing with you, and we ask you to stand with us.”
Several speakers observed a one-minute silence in memory of those affected by the violence and demanded the immediate arrest and punishment of those responsible for the attacks and arson.
State failure, ‘mobocracy’
Transparency International Bangladesh Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman delivered a sharply worded critique, alleging that mob rule had penetrated state structures.
“Mobocracy has begun inside the state,” he said.
“Those in charge of the state appear to consider the forces behind mob violence as one of the pillars of their power.”
He stressed that while citizens must resist such violence, the primary responsibility lay with the government.
“The state must answer what it is doing to ensure the safety of its citizens,” he added.
Economist Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, honorary fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), said the attacks did not occur without warning.
“This incident did not come without signals,” he said.
“People had repeatedly warned that such violence could occur. If one institution must take responsibility, it is the present government.”
He cautioned that the interim government’s legitimacy depended on moral authority.
“They may be legitimate, but they are not elected. An unelected government’s ability to govern lasts only as long as it retains moral legitimacy, and this incident has severely eroded that legitimacy.”
Calls to break ‘mysterious silence’
Zonayed Saki, chief coordinator of the Ganosamhati Andolon, criticized what he termed the government’s silence.
“The government’s mysterious silence must be broken,” he said.
“If you cannot deliver justice, your failure itself will become our verdict.”
National Citizen Party (NCP) Convenor Nahid Islam, a prominent figure in last year’s July Uprising, said the attacks betrayed the ideals of the movement.
“What is happening does not align with the commitments we made during and after the July mass uprising,” he said, alleging political backing behind the violence.
“Without the coming together of multiple forces, such a large-scale incident would not have been possible.”
Editors, owners vow continued resistance
New Age Editor and Editors’ Council President Nurul Kabir, who was himself harassed while attempting to stop the attack outside The Daily Star building, said unity among journalists and intellectuals was now critical.
“Unity is more necessary now than ever,” he said.
“If society tolerates this, it will not only destroy institutions – it will block all possibilities of social progress.”
NOAB President and Samakal publisher AK Azad announced that protests would continue and revealed plans for a nationwide journalists’ conference in mid-January.
“Everyone here said one thing, we must resist this together,” he said.
“We will organize a grand journalists’ conference across Bangladesh in mid-January and announce our next course of action from there.”
Azad alleged serious failures in security during the attacks.
“There was no government agency or individual whom Mahfuz Anam did not request for protection. But help arrived only after everything was over,” he said.
Warning of how close the incident came to mass casualties, he added: “Twenty-eight to twenty-nine journalists were trapped inside. If the fire had continued for another 15 minutes, many would have died from smoke inhalation.”
Political, civil society support
Manab Zamin Editor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury said the fight for press freedom would be prolonged.
“This is not a one-day struggle. This battle will continue until we are victorious,” he said.
Bangladesh Federal Journalists Union (BFUJ) Secretary General Kader Gani Chowdhury demanded compensation for the affected newspapers, declaring: “An attack on the media is an attack on the very existence of the state.”
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair said media freedom was inseparable from democracy.
“Those responsible must be identified and brought under the law, and these attacks must come to a complete stop,” he said.
Following the meeting, participants formed a human chain outside the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel, reiterating demands for justice and vowing to continue their resistance until media freedom and journalists’ safety are fully ensured.
