Mostakur Rahman Zahid, vice-president of the Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union (RUCSU) and president of the Rajshahi University unit of Islami Chhatra Shibir, has called for the shutdown of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, describing them as “so-called civilized newspapers.” He made the remarks on Thursday night, December 18, at a rally following a protest march after news spread of the death of Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, spokesperson of the Inqilab Manch.
At the rally held on the Rajshahi University campus, Mostakur Rahman said journalists from Prothom Alo and The Daily Star should leave the programme if present. A video of his speech later circulated widely on Facebook, triggering criticism. His statement came shortly after the Prothom Alo office in Dhaka was attacked, vandalised, and set on fire, followed by an arson attack on The Daily Star office, where several employees were trapped and later rescued by law enforcement and fire service personnel.
During the same rally, the RUCSU vice-president also called for the eviction of the Indian High Commission in Rajshahi and said teachers he described as “Awami League fascists” should not be allowed to conduct classes at Rajshahi University. He further claimed that the death of Sharif Osman Bin Hadi would lead to the rise of more activists aligned with his movement.
In response, students of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism at Rajshahi University issued a statement on Saturday, December 20, condemning Mostakur Rahman’s remarks. The students described the call to shut down Prothom Alo and The Daily Star as highly reprehensible and said such statements from a person in a responsible position risk further inciting extremism. They also condemned recent attacks on media houses and cultural institutions, including Chhayanaut and Udichi, and demanded that those responsible for violence be identified, brought under the law, and punished.
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