Law enforcement agencies have arrested 17 people so far in connection with the vandalism and arson attacks on the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star in the capital’s Karwan Bazar area amid protests over the death of Inquilab Moncho leader Osmaan Hadi.
Prothom Alo has already filed a case over the incident while The Daily Star is preparing to file one after assessing the extent of damage, said Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime and Operations) SN Nazrul Islam at a press briefing at the DMP Media Centre on Monday.
He said that from around 10:30pm on Friday (Dec 18) until early Saturday, a group of miscreants took advantage of protests in Shahbagh, Karwan Bazar areas and carried out vandalism, arson and looting at Prothom Alo office and later at The Daily Star office.
Despite the presence of police, army and other law enforcement agencies immediate action was delayed due to the large crowd and a tense situation, Nazrul Islam said adding that protesters also obstructed fire service vehicles.
He said 13 suspects were arrested by different police stations, three by the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit and one by the Detective Branch (DB), bringing the total number of arrests to 17.
Analysis of CCTV footage and videos has so far identified 31 people involved in the attacks.
Among the arrestees is Mohammad Naim, 26, who looted Tk 1.5 lakh, he said.
Police recovered Tk 50,000 from him along with a television set and a refrigerator purchased with the looted money.
Nazrul Islam said those who instigated violence or spread incitement on social media will also face legal action.
“Instead of looking for political affiliation, our priority is to bring the culprits under the law and ensure punishment through the judicial process. No one will be spared, regardless of party or ideology,” he said.
He declined to comment on the possible motive behind the attacks.
Regarding preventive measures, the DMP official said stricter security steps would be taken if prior intelligence information is received.
He also urged media outlets and all stakeholders to act responsibly to prevent the spread of rumours, misinformation and online incitement.