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Published : 06 Feb 2026, 07:09 PM
Extra police personnel have been deployed outside the offices of two national dailies: Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, following clashes between police and Inqilab Moncho activists that triggered tension in Dhaka’s Shahbagh and Banglamotor.
Tejgaon Zone Assistant Commissioner of Police Akkas Ali said the deployment was part of “extra precautionary” measures taken around 4:30pm on Saturday.
Asked whether there was any specific threat or information suggesting a fresh attack on the two newspapers, he told bdnews24.com that the measures are merely precautionary, in case the tensions spread to the area.
On Dec 18, following reports of the death of the platform’s leader Sharif Osman bin Hadi, “mobs” attacked, vandalised, looted, and set fire to the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star.
Activists of Inqilab Moncho, who have been staging demonstrations demanding justice over Hadi’s killing, had called for a gathering outside InterContinental Dhaka after Friday prayers.
When they began marching towards State Guest House Jamuna around 4pm, clashes broke out with police, turning the area into a battleground.
Tension quickly spread from Shahbagh to Banglamotor.
Police used batons, sound grenades, and tear shells to disperse the protesters.
Several people, including Member Secretary Abdullah Al Jaber, were injured and taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment.
By 5pm, activists had blocked the Shahbagh intersection, escalating tensions.
Amid the unrest, police jacked up security outside the Prothom Alo and The Daily Star offices.
Hadi, who rose to prominence during the July Uprising and the movement seeking a ban on the Awami League, had announced plans to contest in the general election as an independent candidate from Dhaka-8.
On Dec 12, he was attacked while campaigning in the capital’s Bijoynagar.
An assailant riding on a moving motorcycle shot him while he was on a rickshaw.
He was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for surgery before being moved to Evercare Hospital the same night.
Two days later, he was airlifted to Singapore, where he later died while undergoing treatment on Dec 18.
