British Bangladeshi journalists in London protest attacks on The Daily Star and Prothom Alo

Journalists, media professionals, cultural activists, and members of the British Bangladeshi community gathered at the Altab Ali Park in East London on Sunday to protest the attacks on Bangladesh’s leading newspapers, The Daily Star and Prothom Alo, and growing threats against journalists.

The demonstration, organised by Bangla-speaking journalists working in London, strongly condemned the vandalism, arson, looting, and alleged attempts to kill journalists during coordinated attacks on the two media houses in Bangladesh.

Protesters described the incidents as unprecedented and unacceptable, calling it a “black day” in Bangladesh’s media history.

Speakers at the rally said The Daily Star and Prothom Alo have long stood for independent, objective, and responsible journalism – principles that have increasingly made them targets of intimidation and violence. They demanded an immediate and transparent investigation into the attacks and accountability for those responsible.

Former BBC Bangla journalist Uday Shankar Das told the gathering that while media outlets in Bangladesh have faced attacks in the past, the recent violence marked a dangerous escalation. “Differences of opinion are natural in a democratic society, but resorting to organised violence is never acceptable,” he said.

Syed Nahas Pasha, vice president of the Commonwealth Journalists Association, warned that the attacks went beyond institutional damage and directly endangered journalists’ lives. “This reflects a serious failure of governance,” he said, adding that ensuring the safety of citizens and journalists is a fundamental responsibility of the state.

Former General Secretary of the London Bangla Press Club, Muhammad Abdus Sattar, said journalists were not intimidated by the attacks. “Bangladeshis in the diaspora stand united. We do not want forces that oppose the spirit of the Liberation War to gain ground in Bangladesh,” he said.

The protest, moderated by broadcast journalist and writer Bulbul Hasan, was attended by senior journalists, freedom fighters, writers, and community leaders, including Prothom Alo UK correspondent Saidul Islam, Nilufar Hasan, Urmee Mazher, Abu Musa Hasan, freedom fighter Luqueman Hussain, Hamid Mohammad, Ansar Ahmed Ullah, Sarwar E Alam, A S M Masum, Rupi Amin, and S M Tanvir Ahmed.

Holding banners and chanting slogans in defence of press freedom, participants said the London gathering was an expression of solidarity with journalists in Bangladesh and a call to protect independent media as a cornerstone of democracy.

Meanwhile, the London Bangla Press Club issued a statement condemning the attacks on Prothom Alo, The Daily Star, and other media outlets, editors, and journalists in Bangladesh. Expressing deep concern, the Press Club said the arson, vandalism, and assaults constituted a direct attack on press freedom, freedom of expression, and the public’s right to information, posing a serious threat to the country’s democratic progress.