Police refrained from using force during Prothom Alo, Daily Star attacks to prevent casualties: DMP

DMP Additional Commissioner (Crime and Operations) SN Md Nazrul Islam today (22 December) said police did not use force during the attacks on the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star in Karwan Bazar to avoid gunfire and possible loss of life on both sides.

He made the remarks while responding to questions from journalists at a press briefing at the DMP Media Centre this afternoon.

Nazrul Islam said that had police taken direct action during the vandalism and arson, the situation could have escalated into an exchange of fire, leading to casualties and possible retaliatory attacks on police.

"Given the situation… if we had gone into action, there would have been gunfire, and two to four people could have died. Subsequently, there would have been counter-attacks on the police," he said.

"If two to four policemen had been killed, it would have been very hard for the force to move forward at this stage," he added.

He claimed that the police acted to the extent possible without escalating the situation.

Asked whether the DMP was capable of preventing the attacks on Prothom Alo, The Daily Star and cultural organisation Udichi, he said the police had the capacity but could not always prevent every incident.

"We are capable. [But] it is not the case that we can always curb every incident. When public sentiment grows, the state has to act with maximum restraint," he said.

Claiming that around 4,000 to 5,000 people were present at Karwan Bazar at the time, he said, "If we had gone there with 50 or 100 officers, there was a strong possibility of casualties on both sides — police and public."

Referring to the July Uprising, Nazrul Islam added that the police had recently recovered from a difficult period and could not afford further casualties ahead of the upcoming election.

"We did take action, as much as we deemed necessary and to the extent that our situation allowed. At one point, the police even begged, saying, 'Please do not do this,' but the situation there was not such that we could take action," he said.

Noting that there were no lives lost that day, he said, "This is an achievement of ours in such a big incident. Casualties were avoided. Property can be replaced, but human life cannot."

Notably, late Thursday night (18 December), an agitated group of people vandalised the offices of national dailies Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, and set fire to the two buildings.

While Prothom Alo employees were able to evacuate the building before the situation escalated, some 28 journalists were trapped inside when the Daily Star office was set on fire. They were later rescued safely.