Home
+
Published : 18 Feb 2026, 05:08 PM
An art exhibition titled “Alo” (Light) has opened at the burnt Prothom Alo office in Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar.
The exhibition, inaugurated on Wednesday morning, has transformed the premises scarred by an arson attack back in December into a space of reflection and resolve.
Organised by artist Mahbubur Rahman, it will remain open to visitors daily from 11am to 1pm and 3pm to 5pm until Feb 28.
On Dec 18 at 10:45pm, a group stormed the Prothom Alo office, breaking shutters and glass doors before carrying out looting, vandalism and arson.
The attackers later targeted The Daily Star building and set fire to the offices of Chhayanaut that night and Udichi Shilpigosthi the following day.
The attack forced Prothom Alo to suspend its print edition on Dec 19 for the first time in its 26-year history and temporarily halted its online news flow.
Online operations resumed within 17 hours, and the newspaper returned to print on Dec 20.
Editors, media owners and journalist leaders attended the opening ceremony.
Sajjad Sharif, executive editor of Prothom Alo, said the exhibition captures both the destruction and the determination to overcome it. “We will not only see the ruined structure here,” he said.
“We will also see the attempt to silence thought and the effort to rise above it.”
Artist Mahbubur said the charred remnants displayed in the exhibition speak of “the heartbeat of the workplace and the pain of being burnt,” while also reflecting the institution’s recovery.
The Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam described the incident as “an arson attack against independent journalism” and urged the government to investigate the matter with seriousness and ensure accountability.
Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists Secretary General Kader Gani Chowdhury called for unity among journalists, warning that without media freedom, society would be plunged into darkness.
Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman thanked the artist and said the exhibition expresses “vitality and optimism even amid destruction”.
