17 arrested, 31 identified over attacks on Prothom Alo, The Daily Star: DMP

Law enforcement agencies have arrested 17 individuals and identified 31 others in connection with attacks involving vandalism and arson at the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Additional Commissioner SN Nazrul Islam disclosed the information at a press conference at the DMP Media Centre around noon today, saying the arrests followed analysis of video footage of the incidents.

The arrestees were identified as Mohammad Naim, Mohammad Akash, Ahmed Sagar, Md Abdul Ahad, Md Nazrul Islam alias Minhaj, Md Jahangir, Mohammad Sohel Rana, Md Abdul Barek Sheikh alias Al Amin, Rashedul Islam, Sohel Rana, Shafiqul Islam, Md Pranto Shikdar alias Faisal, Ahmed Pranto, Abul Kashem Raju Hossain, Md Saidur Rahman and two others.

Of the 17 arrestees, 13 were detained by local police stations, three by the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit, and one by the Detective Branch (DB), Nazrul said.

He said police were not considering the political identities of those arrested. "They are miscreants who broke the law and took it into their own hands. Regardless of party or ideology, they will face trial under the existing laws and judicial system," he said.

Nazrul stressed that while protest or anger could be expressed lawfully, entering offices to vandalise, loot and set fires amounted to criminal acts carried out with "bad intention".

The DMP official also addressed the role of social media in fuelling the violence, saying misinformation and provocative posts spread rapidly due to the misuse of technology, significantly escalating the attacks.

Responding to questions about police action during the incidents, he said between 4,000 and 5,000 people were present at the scenes. A forceful crackdown with limited manpower could have led to casualties, he said, adding that restraint was exercised to avoid loss of life.

"The fact that no human life was lost in such a major incident is what we see as our achievement," he added.