Leaders of the country’s major journalists’ organizations strongly condemned the attack and arson at the offices of daily Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, expressing deep concern over the incidents.

In separate statements issued on Friday, leaders of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ), Jatiya Press Club (JPC) and Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) said that attacks on mass media are completely unacceptable, as they constitute a direct assault on press freedom and the people's right to know.

The journalist leaders said democracy and the rule of law cannot be established by suppressing the media. They recalled that news media outlets were also repressed during the immediate past fascist regime and questioned how public trust can be ensured if such attacks on the media continue, especially after the sacrifices of hundreds of martyrs to oust that government.

Describing the incidents as a barrier to healthy politics, the leaders said journalists have been struggling for a free and independent media from the very beginning. They alleged that the attacks on Prothom Alo and The Daily Star were carried out as part of a planned attempt to destabilize the country.

They also said the attack on New Age editor and Editors' Council President Nurul Kabir was part of a premeditated agenda by a particular quarter.

The journalist leaders demanded immediate legal action against those responsible and called on the authorities to ensure the safety and security of media organizations and journalists across the country.