A unique art exhibition titled ‘Alo’ commenced on Wednesday at the Prothom Alo building in Karwan Bazar, Dhaka. The exhibition showcases ruins from the fire, burnt furniture, and scorched equipment through the medium of art.
On the night of 18 December 2025, a group of extremists attacked, vandalised, and set fire to the Prothom Alo building. Attacks were also carried out on The Daily Star and Chhayanaut on the same night.
This exhibition has been organised as a protest against the barbaric attack on the media and to commemorate the destruction. Planned by the prominent artist Mahbubur Rahman, the exhibition uses burnt books, iron, ash, and coal to depict the horrors of that night.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, Editor of Bonik Barta Dewan Hanif Mahmud stated that the incident of burning down a newspaper office is rare in the world.
Comparing it to the burning of the newspaper ‘Sangbad’ on 25 March 1971, he said, “This attempt to stifle the voice of the press is an act of the lowest level of society”. He further remarked that it is essential to preserve these ruins so that history does not forget this barbarity.
President of the National Press Club Hasan Hafiz said everyone must unite to resist such attacks on the media.
The event was attended by Editor of The Daily Star Mahfuz Anam, Secretary General of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) Kader Gani Chowdhury, and top leaders of various journalist organisations.
Other speakers at the programme remarked that it is not possible to stop the media by intimidation or fire. They urged the state and the government to be more stringent and vigilant in preventing such violence in the future.
The organisers informed that the exhibition will remain open to the public daily from 11am to 1pm and 3pm to 5pm until 28 February.
