Presses fall silent after mobs torch Bangladesh’s media offices

Printing presses at Bangladesh’s two leading newspapers went silent Friday for the first time in decades after mobs torched their offices in the worst attack on the media ahead of February’s national elections.

- REUTERS

The country of nearly 175 million people has been on edge since a student-led uprising in 2024 toppled Sheikh Hasina's longstanding government. Hasina is now sheltering in New Delhi, straining ties with India.

Tensions spiked further after youth leader and election candidate Sharif Osman Hadi - a vocal critic of India - died Thursday night in a Singapore hospital, days after being shot by masked assailants in Dhaka.

Hundreds of mostly young protesters then flooded Dhaka's streets, ransacking and setting ablaze the offices of Prothom Allo, the nation’s largest daily, and The Daily Star. By Friday, their charred shells stood as grim evidence, windows shattered and interiors gutted.

STAFF TRAPPED FOR HOURS IN BURNING OFFICES