A violent mob attacked the offices of Bangladeshi newspapers Prothom Alo and The Daily Star on the night of 18 December, leaving behind scenes of destruction and fear. Although no journalist or employee was physically injured in the incident, both buildings were vandalised and later set on fire, destroying everything inside. The violence followed the death of Sharif Osman Hadi in Singapore, which occurred a week after he was shot in Dhaka, an event that sparked widespread anger and unrest.

On that night, the mob moved freely through the streets of Dhaka without any visible resistance. They first entered the Prothom Alo office and later made their way to the Daily Star office. Both newspaper organisations had already sensed the danger and believed they could be targeted. Because of this, they had requested security from the administration in advance. However, security forces reached the Prothom Alo office only after the mob had already arrived and begun its attack. At the Daily Star office, security personnel arrived earlier, but even their presence failed to prevent the building from being vandalised and set on fire.

A video that has now surfaced sheds new light on the role of the security forces during the attack. The footage shows that army officials did not stop the mob from carrying out the vandalism. Instead, their main focus appeared to be the evacuation of people trapped inside the building. In the video, several members of the Bangladesh Army can be seen standing face to face with a large group of attackers and engaging in conversation with them.

One army officer, who is seen speaking to the mob, is heard requesting time to evacuate those inside the building. He can be heard saying, “Make some space, give us just 20 minutes”, clearly asking the mob to pause only long enough for people to be rescued. The mob leaders respond by asking the army to leave the area entirely. However, the officer repeats his request for 20 minutes.

At one point, a mob leader asks, “You confirm that you will leave?”, to which the army officer nods in agreement. The leader then asks whether the evacuation can be completed in less time, but the officer insists that they will need the full 20 minutes.

The exchange continues with the mob leader saying, ‘You complete your activities, then leave this place, we respect you’. The army officer confirms once again that they will leave after evacuating the people in 20 minutes, effectively allowing the mob to do whatever they wanted to the office building after that. Following this, the mob leaders turn to those standing behind them and announce, “We have allowed them 20 minutes, please make way for them”.

This video clearly suggests that the vandalism of the Daily Star building took place with the knowledge and approval of the authorities present at the scene. Their efforts were limited to rescuing people trapped inside, while the destruction of the property was allowed to continue.

According to The Daily Star, its reporters and editors were working late into the night to prepare the morning edition when they began receiving phone calls. They were told that the Prothom Alo office, located around 400 metres away, was under attack and that their own office could be next. In response, they immediately shut down operations and prepared to leave the building.

However, as they were coming down, they realised that the mob had already arrived. They could hear glass panels being smashed and furniture being destroyed. With no safe way to escape, they went back upstairs and climbed to the roof, where they became trapped. There was no other exit available. Soon after, the building was set on fire. Thick black smoke filled the air, making it impossible for them to see clearly. They also ran out of water to wash their eyes, adding to the panic and distress.

After some time, a fire service crane reached the rooftop, and one staff member managed to go down using it. But other staff members began calling out, warning that it was too dangerous to use the crane while the mob continued to vandalise the building. As a result, no one else used it. The remaining staff were eventually rescued using the stairs after army personnel reached the roof, once again after taking permission from the mob for 20 minutes.

The damage caused by the attack was extensive. The entire ground floor and first floor of the Daily Star Centre on Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue in Dhaka were completely gutted. The upper floors were also heavily vandalised. The Prothom Alo building suffered similar destruction, with large portions of the property gutted by fire and vandalism.

Both newspapers have described the attack as an attempt to destabilise the country ahead of the national elections scheduled for February 2026. They said the violence was aimed at derailing the democratic process. Calling it a “dark day” for independent journalism, the newspapers stated that a “vested interest group” had taken advantage of public anger over the murder of Sharif Osman Hadi to carry out the attack.