Kabir arrived at the scene after receiving reports of attacks on the offices of two leading newspapers—The Daily Star, an English-language daily, and Prothom Alo, a Bangla daily. He said he went there in his capacity as Editors’ Council president, citing a moral responsibility to stand by fellow journalists.

“I came here as president of the Editors’ Council, and I thought it was my moral responsibility to stand by my fellow journalists at The Daily Star after hearing reports of attacks on the newspaper office,” Kabir said.

Footage of the incident, which later spread widely on social media, shows Kabir being shoved from behind in the crowd, while one individual appears to pull his hair. Law enforcement officials and army personnel deployed in the area intervened and escorted the senior journalist to safety inside The Daily Star office.

Kabir said New Age had condemned the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi and demanded a proper investigation and assurances of justice. However, he expressed concern that attacks on media houses were carried out before any investigation had been completed.

He also warned that such incidents could harm Bangladesh’s global image.

The protests erupted late Thursday night following the announcement of the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, a leader of the July uprising, who had been wounded by gunfire and was receiving treatment at a hospital in Singapore. During the demonstrations, protesters vandalized and set fire to parts of both The Daily Star and Prothom Alo buildings. Authorities later brought the situation under control under the direct supervision of law enforcement agencies and the army.

Condemning the harassment of Kabir, former Constitutional Reform Commission member Firoz Ahmed wrote on social media that Kabir is “one of the great freedom fighters in Bangladesh’s history,” noting that he continued to speak the truth despite repeated threats during Sheikh Hasina’s rule.

“Today, he stood alone in protest against mob violence targeting the media,” Ahmed wrote, adding that Kabir had “faced a bloodthirsty mob.”

Journalist Rajib Ahmad, in a Facebook post, described Kabir as not only a journalist but a courageous individual. He said that from the period of One-Eleven through the Hasina era, Kabir consistently spoke out against injustice, and that New Age under his editorship published reports in support of human rights.

“Today, such a person was abused and branded ‘Awami League’ outside The Daily Star office,” Ahmad wrote, questioning the motives of those involved in the attacks and alleging that a group of extremists exploited public grief and anger to carry out destruction and destabilize the situation.

The Editors’ Council and journalists’ groups have condemned the attacks on media institutions and called for the protection of press freedom and the safety of journalists.

Read more in BANGLADESH

Watch this News ⇓