Editors’ Council president and New Age editor Nurul Kabir was harassed near the office of The Daily Star in the Farmgate area of Dhaka early Friday amid heightened tensions following violent protests.
Law enforcement officials, along with army personnel deployed to maintain law and order, intervened and escorted Kabir to safety inside The Daily Star office.
Speaking after the incident, Kabir said he had gone to the site in his capacity as president of the Editors’ Council, describing it as his moral responsibility to stand in solidarity with fellow journalists after reports emerged of attacks on newspaper offices.
He noted that New Age had already condemned the attack on July uprising leader Sharif Osman Hadi and had called for a proper investigation and assurance of justice. Kabir, however, expressed deep concern that mobs targeted media houses before any investigation into Hadi’s death had been completed.
Warning of broader consequences, he said such incidents could seriously damage Bangladesh’s global image and undermine press freedom.
The unrest erupted late Thursday night after news broke of the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, who had been wounded by gunfire during the July uprising and was undergoing treatment at a hospital in Singapore. Protesters later vandalised and set fire to the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, triggering nationwide concern over the safety of journalists and media institutions.
