The Daily Star building in Dhaka’s Farmgate area has been torched following the news of Inqilab Mancha spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi’s death. Firefighters later brought the blaze under control around 1:40am.
According to fire service Senior Station Officer Nazim Uddin, at least 30 people got stuck on the Daily Star building roof to escape the fire. All them were recused and safely evacuated around 4:15am.
Earlier that night, a group of agitated protesters first torched the Prothom Alo office in Karwan Bazar, then they proceeded to attack The Daily Star. The mob chanted various slogans against The Daily Star and India. They also vandalised the building’s shutters and windows despite heavy presence of police and army personnel.
Shortly after, The Daily Star’s office was set on fire. When the army tried to stop them, they threw bricks and stones at the army personnel and chanted “bhua, bhua” as slogans.
Agitators also tried to blocked the fire service vehicles that came to extinguish the fires at Prothom Alo and The Daily Star. This information was confirmed to TIMES of Bangladesh by Fire Service Media Cell’s Station Officer Talha Bin Jasim.
Meanwhile, Fire Service Media Cell’s Warehouse Inspector Anwarul Islam has informed TIMES that two units have been dispatched from the Tejgaon Fire Station to extinguish the fire.
Osman Hadi died at Singapore General Hospital while undergoing treatment at around 9:30pm Bangladesh time on Thursday.
Earlier, on 12 December, Osman Hadi was shot in the Box Culvert Road area of Bijoynagar in the capital. He was shot while in an autorickshaw by assailants on a moving motorcycle beside it.
After receiving treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, he was taken to Evercare Hospital. From there, he was taken to Singapore on Monday for advanced treatment.
