Security tightened at Prothom Alo, The Daily Star offices

Police have stepped up security at the offices of the country's top two dailies, Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, following clashes between law enforcement and activists of Inqilab Mancha in central Dhaka.

Additional police were deployed in front of the two newspaper buildings from around 4:30pm on Friday (February 6) as a precautionary measure after violence broke out near the InterContinental intersection, triggering unrest across the Shahbagh and Banglamotor areas.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Tejgaon Zone Assistant Commissioner Mohammad Akkas Ali said the decision was taken to prevent any untoward incident. He said senior police officials were present at the scene and the situation was under close watch.

“There is no specific information about any planned attack on the media offices,” he said, adding that the deployment was part of heightened vigilance in case the disturbances spread.

A journalist at The Daily Star said police had advised staff members to work from home temporarily in view of the prevailing situation.

The move follows last year’s violent attack on the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star on December 18 after reports emerged of the death of Inqilab Mancha’s then convener Sharif Osman Hadi. The incident involved vandalism and arson, leading to a case against several hundred unidentified suspects. Police later arrested 28 people in connection with the attack.

Tensions escalated again on Friday when Inqilab Mancha activists, who had been holding a sit-in since Thursday demanding justice for Hadi’s killing, attempted to march towards the chief adviser’s residence, Jamuna. Clashes with police erupted at the InterContinental intersection, with law enforcement dispersing protesters using sound grenades and tear gas. Several activists were injured.

Following the clashes, protesters retreated to Shahbagh intersection, while the area remained tense amid a strong police presence.