United News of Bangladesh

Detectives have arrested nine more people from different parts of the country for their alleged involvement in vandalism and arson attacks on the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star in the capital’s Karwan Bazar area during protests over the death of Inqilab Moncho leader Osman Hadi. The identities of the arrestees could not be known immediately. Read more: NCP labour leader shot, injured in Khulna Based on intelligence information, DB police arrested them from various locations across the country, said Talebur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner (Media) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), on Tuesday morning. With the latest arrests, the total number of arrestees has risen to 26. Taking advantage of protests in the Shahbagh and Karwan Bazar areas over the death of Osman Hadi, a group of miscreants carried out vandalism and arson attacks, and looted valuables from the Prothom Alo office, before targeting The Daily Star office at around 10:30 pm on Friday. Later, a case was filed in connection with the incidents. Read more: Police disclose special security measures for Christmas, New Year’s Eve

Law enforcement agencies have arrested at least nine people in connection with recent attacks on the offices of Prothom Alo, The Daily Star and two cultural organisations in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country. Seven of the arrestees were identified as Md Kashem Faruk, Md Saidur Rahman, Rakib Hossain, Md Naim, Faisal Ahmed Pranto, Md Sohel Rana and Md Shafiqul Islam, according to a Facebook post by the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing on Monday morning (December 22, 2025). Kashem, a former student of Al-Jamia Al-Islamia Kasemul Uloom Madrasa in Bogura, currently lives in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur area. Saidur hails from Noakanda village in Bhanga upazila of Faridpur district. Rakib Hossain, from Sherpur district, was identified in video footage taking part in vandalism and arson at the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star. He also posted images of the wreckage along with provocative messages on Facebook. Read more: Attacks on Daily Star, Prothom Alo a direct assault on democracy: Fakhrul Md Naim, a resident of Kunipara in Tejgaon, was arrested in Chauddagram upazila of Cumilla with Tk 50,000 looted during the attacks. During primary interrogation, he admitted to looting Tk 123,000, part of which he used to purchase a television and a refrigerator from Mohammadpur. The items were later recovered. Sohel Rana, arrested from the Karwan Bazar rail-line area, has 13 cases filed against him, including drug-related charges, at different police stations in Dhaka. Shafiqul Islam, arrested from the same area, has two previous cases related to arson and grenade attacks. Meanwhile, the Counter-Terrorism Unit of the police, along with intelligence agencies, has detained two more individuals whose identities are currently being verified. At a meeting on Sunday, police informed Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus that primary video analysis had identified 31 suspects involved in the incidents. In Chattogram, three people who attempted to create unrest near the residence of the Indian Assistant High Commissioner were also identified from video footage. Efforts are underway to arrest the remaining accused. Read more: 17 arrested over attacks on Prothom Alo, Daily Star offices: DMP