Fifteen suspects were sent to jail

A Dhaka court has asked police to submit the probe report by January 26 in a case filed over vandalism and arson at the Prothom Alo office.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Jewel Rana passed the order yesterday, a sub-inspector working at the court said.

The court also sent 15 people to jail in connection with the case.

Those sent to jail are Naim Islam, 25; Sagar Islam, 37; Ahad Sheikh, 20; Mohammad Biplob, 20; Nazrul Islam Minhaj, 20; Mohammad Jahangir, 28; Sohel Rana, 25; Mohammad Hasan, 22; Mohammad Rasel, 26; Abdul Barek Sheikh alias Al Amin, 31; Rashedul Islam, 25; Saidur Rahman, 25; Abul Kashem, 33; Pranto Sikdar, 21; and Raju Ahmed, 33.

Major (retd) Sazzadul Kabir, head of security at Prothom Alo, filed the case yesterday with Tejgaon Police Station against 400–500 unidentified individuals over the attack on the newspaper's office in Dhaka's Karwan Bazar area on Thursday that continued till early Friday.

The case was filed under sections 143, 147, 448, 353, 436, 307, 427, 109, 201, 506, 114 and 34 of the Penal Code. It also includes section 6(1) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, section 15(3) of the Special Powers Act, and section 26(1) of the Cyber Security Ordinance.

According to the case statement, the attack was carried out with the intent to intimidate staff, cause damage, disrupt office operations and prevent publication of the newspaper.

The value of looted property was estimated at Tk 2.50 crore, while damage from vandalism and arson was put at around Tk 32 crore.