17 arrested over attacks on Prothom Alo, Daily Star

A case over the attack on The Daily Star is still pending as authorities assess the extent of the damage

Police have arrested 17 people in connection with attacks on the offices of leading national dailies Prothom Alo and The Daily Star.

The arrests were made after analysing video footage of the attacks, Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Additional Commissioner for Crime and Operations SN Nazrul Islam said at a media briefing on Monday.

Thirteen of the suspects were arrested by police, three by the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit, and one by the Detective Branch.

Police have so far identified 31 people linked to the attacks, of whom 17 have now been arrested, Nazrul said.

The violence followed reports of the death of Sharif Osman bin Hadi, convener of Inqilab Moncho, on Dec 18. Hadi, who was shot in Dhaka on Dec 12, died during treatment in Singapore.

Nazrul said a case had been filed over the attack on Prothom Alo. He added that the process of assessing the extent of damage at The Daily Star was under way and that a case was being prepared.