Fanatic mobs wreak havoc in Bangladesh after radical leader’s death

Sanjoy Kumar Barua

Fanatic groups carried out coordinated attacks across multiple cities in Bangladesh after the death of radical leader Sharif Osman Hadi, targeting media houses, cultural institutions, diplomatic premises, political figures and religious minorities, authorities and witnesses said on Friday.

The unrest, which began late Thursday, prompted the suspension of operations by the country’s two leading newspapers and raised alarms over public order, press freedom and communal safety.

In Dhaka, protesters vandalised and set fire to the main offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, Bangladesh’s most influential Bengali- and English-language newspapers.

Prothom Alo said in a notice to readers that it had been subjected to “massive attacks, vandalism and arson,” forcing it to suspend both print and online publication.

“As the office of Prothom Alo was subjected to massive attacks last night, it was not possible to continue normal operations,” the paper said, adding that it would resume publication once damaged technical systems were restored.

At The Daily Star, journalists were trapped for hours after parts of the building were set ablaze. According to eyewitnesses and local media, newsroom staff attempted to evacuate after receiving warnings that a mob was approaching but were forced to flee to the rooftop as fire and smoke spread through lower floors. Firefighters later rescued those stranded.

Local offices linked to Prothom Alo and The Daily Star were also vandalised in the northwestern city of Rajshahi, police said.

“It is one of the darkest days for independent journalism in Bangladesh,” the Daily Star said in a statement.

“Twenty-eight journalists were trapped on the rooftop of The Daily Star building for several hours, struggling to breathe amid heavy smoke. They were rescued only after additional military reinforcements arrived,” the newspaper said.

There’s too much smoke. I’m inside. You are killing me,” Zyma Islam, a young journalist, posted on Facebook. She was in the newsroom of The Daily Star, Bangladesh’s most read English newspaper, on Thursday night when a mob set fire to the building in central Dhaka.

The violence extended to major cultural landmarks.

In Dhaka’s Dhanmondi area, attackers vandalised and set fire to the offices of Chhayanaut, a historic cultural organisation founded in 1961 and widely regarded as a guardian of Bengali music and literature.

Chhayanaut officials said rare books, musical instruments and cultural artefacts were destroyed. Students who were present during the attack were left traumatised.

“We condemn this incident and demand a proper investigation,” Chhayanaut General Secretary Laisa Ahmed said, adding that the scale of damage was significant.

Chhayanaut was established to preserve and promote Bengali language, music and cultural traditions at a time when expressions of Bengali identity faced political and cultural restrictions.

The institution is best known for its role in nurturing Rabindra Sangeet, classical and folk music, and for organising Bangladesh’s most widely recognised Poila Boishakh (Bengali New Year) celebrations, which draw tens of thousands of participants each year in Dhaka.

During the 1971 Liberation War, Chhayanaut’s artists and singers performed to inspire freedom fighters and displaced civilians, and the institution continued to function despite widespread violence and repression.

Since independence, Chhayanaut has remained a central platform for cultural education, artistic expression and the preservation of Bengali heritage.

The Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre, a prominent cultural venue, was also vandalised and set on fire, witnesses said.

In a development likely to heighten regional tensions, protesters attacked Indian diplomatic premises in multiple locations.

In Khulna and Chattogram, offices and residential facilities linked to the Indian High Commission were vandalised, with stone-throwing and arson reported. Indian and Bangladeshi officials did not immediately comment on the incidents.

Several politically significant sites were also targeted.

In Dhaka, protesters again set fire to and vandalised Dhanmondi 32, the historic residence associated with Bangladesh’s founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

In the capital’s Uttara area, at least 35 shops were vandalised, and the home of an Awami League leader was set ablaze, police said.

In the port city of Chattogram, attackers again torched and vandalised the residence of late political heavyweight A.B.M. Mohiuddin Chowdhury. The home of Bir Bahadur, a former cabinet minister, was also set on fire.

Amid the unrest, Nurul Kabir, editor of the English-language daily New Age, was physically attacked.

In the most severe incident, police said a Hindu youth was beaten to death by a mob in Mymensingh after allegations of blasphemy.

According to local journalist, the deceased, identified as 25-year-old Dipu Chandra Das, was a factory worker in Mymensingh city.

“After the incident, the angry crowd left the body of the deceased on the side of the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway and set it on fire, he said.

The unrest followed the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, a controversial leader associated with the platform Inqilab Moncho. Protesters cited his death as the catalyst for demonstrations that escalated into widespread violence.

Inqilab Moncho later issued a statement urging supporters to refrain from vandalism, arson and violence, warning that unrest could destabilise the country and undermine its sovereignty.

Bangladesh’s Interim Government’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus’ key aide and Press Advisor Shafiqul Alam has apologised for the chaos and destruction unleashed by radical mobs in Dhaka.

As radical mobs caused mayhem all night and burnt down newspaper offices and cultural centres, Shafiqul Alam said, “I wish I could dig up a great piece of earth and bury myself in shame.”

Under the interim administration of Muhammad Yunus, supported by the military and Islamist factions, press freedom and independent journalism in Bangladesh face unprecedented threats.

Reporters Without Borders has documented a sharp deterioration in the safety of journalists, with violent assaults on newsrooms becoming increasingly common.

Journalists have been attacked with batons, hammers, and knives, while mobs have stormed offices demanding the removal of content critical of the government.