In the heart of Bangladesh’s bustling capital, Dhaka, a call for protection echoes from the country’s journalists, editors, and media moguls. The urgency is palpable following alarming assaults on two of the nation’s prominent newspapers by unruly mobs.

The media fraternity has accused the interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, of systematically targeting the press. The administration has come under fire for its failure to prevent the attacks on the Daily Star and Prothom Alo, Bangladesh’s leading English and Bengali-language dailies, respectively.

In a chilling incident last December, enraged crowds besieged the headquarters of these newspapers, setting buildings ablaze and trapping journalists and staff inside. This violent outbreak followed the death of a notable Islamist activist, escalating tensions further.

Despite repeated pleas for intervention, the authorities were criticized for their inadequate response to the unfolding chaos. It took hours before the journalists, who had sought refuge on the rooftop of the Daily Star, were finally rescued. The offices were not only set on fire but also plundered. In a shocking turn of events, a leader from the Editors Council was physically assaulted upon reaching the scene, highlighting the volatile environment for media personnel.

Compounding the distress, the same day witnessed assaults on liberal cultural centers in Dhaka, painting a grim picture of the challenges faced by those advocating for free expression in the country.

It was not clear why the protesters attacked the newspapers, whose editors are known to be closely connected with Yunus. Protests had been organized in recent months outside the offices of the dailies by Islamists who accused the newspapers of links with India.

On Saturday, the Editors Council and the Newspapers Owners Association of Bangladesh jointly organized a conference where editors, journalist union leaders and journalists from across the country demanded that the authorities uphold the free press amid rising tensions ahead of elections in February.

Nurul Kabir, President of the Editors Council, said attempts to silence media and democratic institutions reflect a dangerous pattern.

Kabir, also the editor of the English-language New Age daily, said unity among journalists should be upheld to fight such a trend.

“Those who want to suppress institutions that act as vehicles of democratic aspirations are doing so through laws, force and intimidation,” he said.

After the attacks on the two dailies in December, an expert of the United Nations said that mob attacks on leading media outlets and cultural centers in Bangladesh were deeply alarming and must be investigated promptly and effectively.

“The weaponization of public anger against journalists and artists is dangerous at any time, and especially now as the country prepares for elections. It could have a chilling effect on media freedom, minority voices and dissenting views with serious consequences for democracy,” Irene Khan said in a statement.

Yunus came to power after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country amid a mass uprising in August, 2024. Yunus had promised stability in the country, but global human rights groups including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have blamed the government for its failure to uphold human and other civil rights. The Yunus-led regime has also been blamed for the rise of the radicals and Islamists.

Dozens of journalists are facing murder charges linked to the uprising on the grounds that they encouraged the government of Hasina to use lethal weapons against the protesters. Several journalists who are known to have close links with Hasina have been arrested and jailed under Yunus.