BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said that the attack was not just on Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, it was an attack on democracy. Therefore, all people who believe in democracy must unite to resist this evil force, he added.
He made the comments on Monday at a joint protest meeting organised by the Newspaper Owners’ Association of Bangladesh (NOAB) and the Editors’ Council at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka.
While addressing the event, the politician expressed deep concern over the current situation in Bangladesh.
He further said, “I do not know in which Bangladesh I am standing at this moment. I am 78 years old. All my life I have struggled to see an independent, sovereign, democratic Bangladesh. But the Bangladesh I see today is not the Bangladesh I ever dreamed of.”
“This is not just an attack on Prothom Alo or The Daily Star; it is an assault on democracy itself. Our right to think freely and speak openly has been violated. The July uprising, which established the people’s rights, has been attacked once again,” he added.
Appealing to citizens to rise above political affiliations and stand together, he said, “Those who wish to bring Bangladesh from darkness into light, who want to see a truly independent and sovereign democratic nation, must now resist. The time to act is now.”
NOAB President AK Azad, Editors’ Council members, senior journalists, and representatives from political parties, professional bodies, business associations, and civil society were present at the protest meeting titled “Bangladesh Attacked by Mob Violence”.
After the protest meeting, they formed a human chain on the road beside the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka.
The attacks on Prothom Alo and the Daily Star were carried out on Thursday night, involving arson, vandalism, and looting. Editors’ Council President Nurul Kabir was also assaulted while visiting The Daily Star to express solidarity.
