Event Summary
In mid-December 2025, Bangladesh experienced a severe outbreak of mob violence following the death of student and youth movement leader Sharif Osman Hadi, who was shot earlier in Dhaka and died in Singapore on 18 December. News of his death rapidly mobilised large crowds across Dhaka and other districts, triggering protests that escalated into targeted attacks on institutions associated with public discourse and dissent.
On the nights of 18–19 December 2025, violent mobs vandalised and set fire to the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star in Karwan Bazar, forcing both leading newspapers to suspend publication and evacuate journalists trapped inside the buildings. A senior journalist and president of the Editors Council was also harassed by attackers while attempting to reach the site. Media reports indicate that law-enforcement agencies arrived only after significant damage had already occurred, raising serious concerns about delayed response and inadequate protection of media institutions during the unrest.
The violence was not confined to media targets. In parallel, cultural institutions were targeted, including vandalism of Udichi Shilpi Gosthi facilities and attacks on the premises associated with Chhayanaut, one of the country’s most prominent cultural organisations.
While authorities subsequently deployed security forces and announced arrests, the delayed intervention across multiple incidents has intensified public alarm. Taken together, the arson against major newspapers, physical attacks on journalists, and mob violence mark one of the gravest episodes for freedom of expression and civic safety in recent years, exposing critical failures in timely state protection amid mass mobilisation.