Dhaka: The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) have arrested three more individuals in connection with the attack, looting, and arson at the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star in the capital.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the arrests were made in the capital city’s Bailey Road area, as well as Gazipur and Bhola districts, on Tuesday and Wednesday. Deputy Commissioner of DB (media and public relations) Muhammad Talebur Rahman confirmed the arrests.
With these latest arrests, all 31 individuals initially identified in the attacks on the media houses have been apprehended, as law enforcement earlier detained 28 people in this connection. The arrested individuals are Md. Zakir Hossain Shanto, aged 29, Md. Swapan Mondal, aged 30, and Niaz Mahmud Farhan, aged 21.
Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) sources reported that Md. Zakir Hossain Shanto was arrested from the Bailey Road area under Ramna Police Station on Tuesday. Md. Swapan Mondal was taken into custody from Abdullahpur More area under Tongi Police Station in Gazipur district at around 12:05 am on Wednesday. Meanwhile, a team from the Detective Branch (DB) Cyber North Division arrested Niaz Mahmud Farhan during a raid in the Borhanuddin Police Station area of Bhola district at 01:15 am on Tuesday.
DB sources further informed that on the night of December 18, a group of unruly individuals carried out a violent attack, looting, and arson at the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star in the Karwan Bazar area. Following the incident, DMP collected CCTV footage and conducted a series of raids to identify and apprehend those involved.
Earlier, The Daily Star filed a case accusing 350 to 400 attackers of storming its office on Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue early Friday. The attackers reportedly assaulted staff, looted cash and equipment, set several floors on fire, and sabotaged safety systems. The losses were estimated at Taka 40 crore, forcing the newspaper to suspend its print edition on December 19 and halt its online services for 17 hours.
Prothom Alo also filed a case against 400 to 500 unidentified individuals over a similar attack at its Karwan Bazar office, alleging vandalism, looting, arson, and attempts to disrupt publication. The case was filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act, the Special Powers Act, and the Cyber Security Ordinance. Total damages were estimated at around Taka 32 crore, while looted property was valued at Taka 2.5 crore.