Man placed on 2-day remand over arson, vandalism at Daily Star office
According to the remand petition, a preliminary police investigation indicated his alleged involvement in the incident after reviewing his social media posts and statements given by previously arrested suspects.
A Dhaka court today (9 July) placed a man on a two-day remand in a case filed over the attack, vandalism, and arson at The Daily Star office in the capital's Karwan Bazar on 18 December last year.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Hasib Ullah Pias passed the order.
"The accused, Saiful Islam, 32, is a businessman," his lawyer, Mohammad Mofazzal Hossain, told The Business Standard.
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Earlier in the day, the investigating officer of the case, DB Sub-Inspector Zahirul Islam, sought a seven-day remand for Saiful after producing him before the court.
According to the remand petition, a preliminary police investigation indicated Saiful's alleged involvement in the incident after reviewing his Facebook posts and analysing statements given by previously arrested suspects.
The petition sought Saiful's remand to identify others involved in the incident and recover looted items.
Opposing the remand plea, Saiful's lawyer said his client had gone to Karwan Bazar for work on the day of the incident.
"A mob had gathered over the death of Inqilab Mancha spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi that day. Many people had publicly written against Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, but none of them was arrested. My client was not involved in the incident, nor was he involved in looting, arson, or vandalism," he added.
On the night of 18 December last year, a group of people vandalised The Daily Star office in Karwan Bazar, looted valuables, and set fire to furniture and important documents.
On 22 December, The Daily Star's head of operations, Mizanur Rahman, filed a case with Tejgaon Police Station against 350-400 unidentified people.
According to the first information report (FIR), around 12:30am on 18 December 2025, approximately 350-400 unidentified people carrying weapons, sticks, and flammable materials marched to and allegedly gathered unlawfully in front of The Daily Star office with the intention of creating public disorder, riots, and acts of sabotage. The group also allegedly chanted provocative slogans against the organisation.
The FIR also alleged that the attackers attempted to assault employees inside the office, vandalised furniture, and looted various items. It added that they smashed the building's front glass panels, threw down sofas, tables, chairs, equipment, and documents, gathered them in one place, and set them on fire.
On the same day, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Additional Commissioner (Crime and Operations) SN Md Nazrul Islam told reporters that police had arrested 17 people out of 31 identified through video footage analysis in connection with the incident.
