'If You Criticise Govt...': Dhaka-Based Journalist Details How Media Is Being Targetted Amid Unrest

Last Updated:December 19, 2025, 13:13 IST

Massive protests erupted in several parts of Bangladesh, including Dhaka and Chattogram, following the death of July uprising organiser Sharif Osman Hadi.

Protester burning down offices of Newspapers as a protest over the death of Osman Hadi (Image: Reuters)

Amid the ongoing unrest in Bangladesh following the death of prominent July uprising leader Sharif Osman Hadi, the demonstrators are targeting the offices of major newspapers, trapping staff inside and targeting journalists.

Speaking to News18 on condition of anonymity, a Dhaka-based journalist explained the current situation unfolding in the country and informed that several journalists are being arrested.

“Journalists in Bangladesh are being arrested. In fact, those who supported the July protests are also being targeted," he said, adding, “If you criticise the government, either the government will target you or the July protestors will target you."

“My office is opposite the Daily Star. A lot of the army is deployed. The police is on the streets. One journalist in Khulna was shot dead by people," he added.

Unrest In Bangladesh

Massive protests erupted in several parts of Bangladesh, including Dhaka and Chattogram, following the death of July uprising organiser Sharif Osman Hadi in Singapore. Hadi, the convener of Inquilab Mancha, died while undergoing treatment after he was shot in the head in Dhaka on December 12.

The supporters of Hadi hit the roads and are demanding the arrest of the killers. The offices of Prothom Alo and Daily Star are being attacked and vandalised with staff trapped inside in the capital’s Karwanbazar. The Daily Star building has been set on fire, according to media reports.

The unrest follows heightened political tension in Bangladesh after Sheikh Hasina fled to India in August 2024, with Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus leading the interim administration.

Yunus addressed the nation in a televised speech following Hadi’s death, calling it “an irreparable loss for the nation" and emphasising that “the country’s march toward democracy cannot be halted through fear, terror, or bloodshed," AFP reported.

News world 'If You Criticise Govt...': Dhaka-Based Journalist Details How Media Is Being Targetted Amid Unrest

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