Protesters shout slogans in front of the premises of the Prothom Alo daily newspaper after news reached the country from Singapore of the death of a prominent activist Sharif Osman Hadi, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu)2025-12-18T20:33:12Z DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) Angry protesters stormed the offices of Bangladeshs two leading newspapers late Thursday after the death of a prominent activist in last years political uprising in Bangladesh. The crowds set fire to the buildings of the dailies, trapping journalists and other staff inside.Hours later, the journalists and other staff were evacuated, and the fires were brought under control early Friday. It was not clear why the protesters attacked the newspapers whose editors are known to be closely connected with the countrys interim leader, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus. Protests were organized in recent months outside the offices of the dailies by Islamists who blamed the newspapers for their alleged link with India.Sharif Osman Hadi, a spokesperson for the Inqilab Moncho culture group, died in hospital in Singapore early Thursday evening after a weeklong battle for his life. He was shot on the streets of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, last Friday while riding on a rickshaw. Two men on a motorbike followed Hadi and one shot him before they fled the scene. After days of treatment in Dhaka, Hadi was flown to Singapore in critical condition. Authorities have said they identified the suspects and that the shooter had most probably fled to India remarks that sparked a new diplomatic squabble with India and prompted New Delhi this week to summon Bangladeshs envoy to express its condemnation. Bangladesh also summoned the Indian envoy to Dhaka and sought clarification. Stay up to date with the news and the best of AP by following our WhatsApp channel. Follow on Hadi was a fierce critic of both neighboring India and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, whose 15-year rule of Bangladesh ended in last years uprising. The Inqilab Moncho group, formed after the ouster of Hasina last year, has been organizing street protests and campaigns denouncing Hasina and India. The countrys Islamists and other Hasina opponents have blamed her government for being subservient to India during her rule. Hadi had planned to run as an independent candidate in a major constituency in Dhaka in the next national elections which the countrys interim government has announced for February. Since Hasinas ouster, the Inqilab Moncho group has promoted anti-Indian sentiment in the Muslim-majority country. Hasina now lives in self-imposed exile in India.Witnesses and media reports said hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Dhaka immediately after the news of Hadis death, rallying on Shahbagh Square near the Dhaka University campus where many chanted slogans such as Allahu Akbar, or God is great in Arabic. There were also similar protests elsewhere in the country.Later, a group of protesters gathered outside the head office of the countrys leading Bengali-language Prothom Alo daily in Dhakas Karwan Bazar area. They then surged into the building, vandalized it and set fire to it, according to online portals of various leading media outlets.A few hundred yards away, another group of protesters pushed into the premises of the countrys leading English-language Daily Star and set fire to the building, according to footage from Kaler Kantha, another mainstream newspaper. Soldiers and paramilitary border guards deployed outside the two buildings but did not take any action to disperse the protesters. Security officials tried to convince them to leave peacefully as firefighters arrived at the scene outside the Daily Star building.The blaze trapped the newspapers staff working inside the building late Thursday. One of the Daily Stars journalists, Zyma Islam, wrote on Facebook that she was inside the building. I cant breathe anymore. Theres too much smoke, she said.By early Friday, the fire was brought under control.Both dailies stopped updating their online editions after the attacks and they did not publish broadsheets on Friday. The protesters Thursday night also targeted Chhayanaut, a leading cultural institution widely respected by liberals, in Dhakas Dhanmondi neighborhood. Dozens of protesters were still at Shahbagh Friday morning and vowed to continue the protests. Hadis body would be brought to Dhaka from Singapore on Friday evening, authorities said. The attack on Hadi is still being investigated, but the shooting has set off tensions. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have recently expressed concerns over violations of human rights in Bangladesh. Yunus, who took over three days after Hasinas ouster in August 2024, promised in a televised address to the nation late Thursday to punish Hadis killers.He announced that Saturday would be a day of mourning and urged the citizens to stay calm.Yunus critics and Hasinas former Awami League party have blamed the interim government for the rise of Islamists in Bangladesh, a parliamentary democracy with a history of political violence. The interim government has banned all activities by Hasinas party, including its running in the February election. Last month, a Bangladesh court sentenced Hasina to death on charges of crimes against humanity involving the uprising. On Wednesday, anti-India protesters attempted to march toward the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, prompting it to close its visa section. After Hasinas ouster India stopped issuing tourist visas to Bangladeshis, citing security concerns, but continued giving visas for medical treatment in India. On Thursday, protesters in the southwestern city of Rajshahi tried to march toward the office of a regional Indian diplomat. Police stopped both marches. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site