Dhaka’s most prominent symbols of journalism and culture now stand behind layers of security — not because the state anticipated danger, but because the damage has already been done.
The buildings of Prothom Alo at Karwan Bazar, The Daily Star Centre in Farmgate and the Chhayanaut building in Dhanmondi were all attacked, vandalised and set on fire in a series of coordinated assaults on Thursday night. On Friday, the Udichi office in Paltan was targeted and burned.
These attacks were not spontaneous. They were openly announced beforehand on Facebook. Yet there was no advance intelligence warning and no visible preventive deployment.
The violence unfolded amid heightened political tension following the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson for Inqilab Moncho and a potential candidate for the Dhaka-8 constituency, who died in Singapore while undergoing treatment after being shot in the head. Even as the government appealed for calm, opportunistic groups moved swiftly to exploit the situation.
What has alarmed many observers is not only the scale of destruction but where it happened. These institutions are located in the heart of the capital, in areas where police patrols are routine and police stations are close by. Despite this, there was little to no immediate action to stop the mobs.
Attackers marched openly from Shahbagh to the Prothom Alo building, vandalising and setting it on fire. From there, they announced their next destination and proceeded to the Daily Star Centre. Even in the presence of joint security forces, chaos continued.
As firefighters used ladder trucks to evacuate journalists from the rooftop of the Daily Star building around midnight, mobs attempted to storm the premises. It took until nearly 3:00am to bring everyone down safely. Police sources later admitted that fear of being attacked and a shortage of manpower prevented decisive action that night.
Former Inspector General of Police Nurul Huda described the incidents as targeted attacks and said police negligence was evident. Speaking to TIMES of Bangladesh, he pointed to a clear failure to act despite advance announcements, calling it a combination of laxity, negligence and intelligence failure.
Security analyst Air Commodore (retd) Ishfaq Ilahi Chowdhury was even more direct. Speaking to TIMES, he said the responsibility lay squarely with leadership. He cited failed leadership, poor operational management and years of tolerance that had emboldened attackers.
He warned that attacks on symbols of independence were escalating and stressed that Chhayanaut was not a political organisation but a cultural institution. Unless such acts are decisively suppressed, he cautioned, they would only increase, raising serious questions ahead of the upcoming national election.
The government, however, has sought to distance itself from responsibility. Adviser Muhammad Fayzul Kabir Khan, who oversees multiple ministries, said no one from Inqilab Moncho was involved and that law enforcement and intelligence agencies were working to identify those responsible. He also acknowledged that there had been no advance intelligence about the attacks.
Police explanations have focused on logistics. Tejgaon zone Deputy Commissioner Ibne Mizan said events unfolded suddenly and that road blockades prevented reinforcements from Mirpur and Rajarbagh from reaching the sites quickly.
“Everything happened in the heat of the moment,” he said. Critics, however, point out that this explanation contradicts the fact that the attacks were publicly announced in advance.
The broader political context is inseparable from the violence. On November 12, the day after the schedule for the 13th National Parliamentary Election was announced, Hadi was shot in Bijoynagar after Friday prayers.
After initial treatment in Dhaka, he was flown by air ambulance to Singapore on Monday. He died on Thursday night at Singapore General Hospital. The attacks on media and cultural institutions followed shortly after his death.
Legal accountability has been slow. A case has been filed at Dhanmondi Police Station over the Chhayanaut attack. Police say cases will be filed by Prothom Alo and The Daily Star at Tejgaon Police Station once damage assessments are completed, and by Udichi at Shahbagh Police Station. Yet despite photos and videos of alleged leaders of the attacks circulating widely on social media, no one has been identified or arrested so far.
Prothom Alo authorities said they had contacted senior government officials and multiple law enforcement agencies after sensing an imminent threat, but the office was attacked before security arrived. The Daily Star said that despite prior threats and repeated attempts to disrupt media operations, the government’s attitude toward their safety remained lax.
Tejgaon Police Station Officer-in-Charge Kashainyu Marma said no case had yet been filed by Prothom Alo or The Daily Star, as damage assessments were ongoing. Chhayanaut General Secretary Laisa Ahmed Lisa said they had sought law enforcement assistance in advance, but attackers moved quickly from other locations, reaching Chhayanaut before police could intervene. She described the night as so volatile that it was impossible to determine what might happen next, adding that the fire service also took time to arrive.
Dhanmondi Police Station OC Saiful Islam said a case was filed on Friday night over the Chhayanaut attack but no arrests had been made. Udichi Joint General Secretary Rahman Mofiz said there had been prior threats against their Topkhana Road office and repeated requests for security to Shahbagh police, which were not met.
Shahbagh Police Station OC Md Moniruzzaman said forces were dispatched after reports came in, but attackers had already fled, leaving behind vandalism, including damage to a City SB office housed in the same building.
Taken together, the events reveal a troubling failure, as coordinated, publicly announced attacks unfolded in the heart of the capital without resistance, and security tightened only after the damage was done.
