Daily Star will stand tall again: Adviser Sakhawat

Labour and Employment Adviser Brigadier General (Retired) M Sakhawat Hussain has expressed solidarity with The Daily Star, saying the newspaper would rise again with courage despite a devastating setback.

On the night of December 18, mobs carried out coordinated attacks on the head office of The Daily Star in Dhaka. They vandalised the offices, looted valuables, set parts of the buildings on fire and trapped journalists and staff of the English daily inside for hours.

"I am very sad," the adviser said while visiting The Daily Star office today.

He said that a free and resilient media is essential for democracy in Bangladesh.

The adviser said the role of the media is neither to stand for nor against any individual or government, adding that no media outlet anywhere in the world remains permanently on one side.

He noted that the media landscape in Bangladesh does not develop overnight and that, in a country like Bangladesh, The Daily Star grew steadily over time. "In that context, this is undoubtedly a major setback, but I am confident that a newspaper like The Daily Star will stand tall again," he said.

Hussain said the interim government had expressed solidarity, with statements issued and many people visiting the office and speaking out in support.

He added that a courageous newspaper, built on courage, would rise again.

"Even after such devastation, this newspaper continued its work instead of closing. That is courage," he said.

"I hope we will all remain tolerant and supportive. After the mass uprising, Bangladesh went through an unimaginable shock, with much bloodshed for a society free from discrimination. I hope we can uphold that spirit."

Hussain also said the next elected government would have learned lessons from the past.

"These are lessons for them. When that government takes office, I believe it will understand these issues more clearly and uphold the freedom of the country's newspapers, print media and electronic media," he added.