No one has yet been arrested in connection with the attacks, vandalism and arson at the buildings of Prothom Alo, The Daily Star, Chhayanaut and Udichi at Karwan Bazar, Farmgate, Dhanmondi and Topkhana Road in the capital.
Police began an investigation after Chhayanaut filed a case with Dhanmondi police station on Friday. A case has also been filed at Shahbagh police station over the Udichi incident. Tejgaon police said the authorities of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star would file cases.
Meanwhile, Religious Affairs Adviser AFM Khalid Hossain told journalists at the Secretariat on Sunday that the identities of several individuals involved in the attacks and arson at the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star had been identified.
“I have learned from intelligence reports that some photographs and identities of those who set the fires have already been identified. We have taken measures to arrest them and bring them under the law,” he said.
Regarding the attack on the Chhayanaut building, the adviser said, “It is never acceptable for anyone to burn down an institution or kill people by setting them on fire. We consider this a wrongful and reprehensible act, and we are determined to bring those responsible under the law.”
On Thursday night, attacks, vandalism, arson and looting were carried out at the Prothom Alo office in Dhaka, leaving the premises gutted. On the same night, the office of The Daily Star was vandalised, looted and set on fire. After vandalism and looting, the Chhayanaut building in Dhanmondi was torched later that night. On Friday night, the Udichi office on Topkhana Road was set on fire.
Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Tejgaon Zone Ibn-e-Mizan told Times of Bangladesh that police and intelligence agencies had begun investigations. He said the authorities of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star would file cases shortly.
Tejgaon Police Station Officer-in-Charge Kashainyu Marma said several individuals had been identified after reviewing video footage, but no one had yet been arrested.
Dhanmondi Police Station Officer-in-Charge Saiful Islam said police were trying to identify those who set fire to the Chhayanaut building using video footage, but no arrests had been made so far.
Shahbagh Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Moniruzzaman said a case had been filed over the Udichi incident by Mahmud Selim, president of one faction, against unidentified persons. He said video footage was being collected from various sources to identify those involved.
However, on Sunday evening, Udichi (one faction) General Secretary Jamshed Anwar Tapan told this reporter that they would submit a written complaint to the police station. Joint General Secretary Rahman Mofiz said Udichi was divided into two groups.
In the meantime, police, RAB and Border Guard Bangladesh have been deployed to guard the affected buildings to prevent any further incidents.
