The government will take strict legal action against those responsible for the recent attacks, vandalism and arson at Prothom Alo offices and The Daily Star, Shipping Adviser Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain said.
He made the remarks while visiting the offices of the two newspapers at Karwan Bazar in the capital on Sunday.
Expressing sorrow over the violence, the adviser said differences of opinion are a part of democracy, but attacks and violence against media outlets are unacceptable, describing the incident as deeply unfortunate.
He said the media serves as the eyes of the government and stressed that both the government and the media must work together for nation-building.
The adviser praised the courage and professionalism of the staff of the two newspapers, saying their ability to publish editions within a day of such a major incident reflected remarkable resilience.
Expressing solidarity with the affected journalists, he said the media would rise again and press freedom would be upheld.
The Daily Star Advisory Editor Kamal Ahmed, Prothom Alo Executive Editor Sajjad Sharif and other senior officials and journalists were present during the visit.
Angry protesters set fire to the offices of the country’s two leading newspapers on 19 December, trapping staff, following the death of activist Sharif Osman Hadi, who was shot in Dhaka on 12 December and later died at a hospital in Singapore.
