The Daily Star files case against 350–400 people over attack on its Dhaka office

The Daily Star has lodged a case against 350–400 individuals over allegations of vandalism, arson and looting at its office on Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue in the capital early Friday.

According to the complaint filed by operations head Mizanur Rahman, the attackers, armed with sticks and incendiary materials, gathered outside the building and shouted provocative slogans before storming the premises around 12:35am.

They allegedly assaulted staff, looted cash and equipment, set fire to several floors and damaged key infrastructure, including fire safety systems and CCTV cameras.

The case states that more than 200 electronic devices worth Tk 5 crore, along with Tk 35 lakh in cash, were looted, with overall losses estimated at Tk 40 crore.

Thirty staff members were rescued, while operations were severely disrupted, leading to the suspension of the print edition on December 19 and a 17-hour halt to online services.

In a separate incident, Prothom Alo, which was also attacked early Friday, filed a case against 400–500 unidentified individuals over vandalism, looting and arson at its Karwan Bazar office in the capital.

The case was filed with Tejgaon Police Station around 12:10am on Monday under the Anti-Terrorism Act, the Special Powers Act and the Cyber Security Ordinance.

According to the case statement, the Prothom Alo office was attacked late Thursday night, with assailants allegedly forcing their way inside, vandalising property, looting valuables and later setting parts of the building on fire.

The allegations claim the attack was intended to intimidate, cause damage, disrupt office operations and prevent publication of the newspaper. The case also refers to attempts to destroy evidence, acts of sabotage and the use of online instructions to carry out the crimes.

Prothom Alo estimates the value of looted property at Tk 2.50 crore, while damage from vandalism and arson is put at around Tk 32 crore.

Meanwhile, police have so far arrested 17 of the 31 people initially identified in connection with attacks on the offices of Prothom Alo, The Daily Star and two cultural organisations as of Monday morning.