DHAKA, Dec 24, 2025 (BSS) - The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) have arrested three more individuals in connection with the attack, looting, and arson at the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star in the capital. 

The arrests have been made from the capital city's Bailey Road area, Gazipur and Bhola districts on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Deputy Commissioner of DB (media and public relations) Muhammad Talebur Rahman confirmed their arrests.

With the latest arrests, all 31 individuals initially identified in the attacks of the media houses arrested as the law enforcers earlier apprehended 28 people in this connection. 

The arrested individuals are Md. Zakir Hossain Shanto (29), Md. Swapan Mondal (30), and Niaz Mahmud Farhan (21).

According to Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) sources, Md. Zakir Hossain Shanto was arrested from the Bailey Road area under Ramna Police Station on Tuesday.

Md. Swapan Mondal was arrested from Abdullahpur More area under Tongi Police Station in Gazipur district at around 12:05 am on Wednesday. 

Meanwhile, a team of the Detective Branch (DB) Cyber North Division arrested Niaz Mahmud Farhan during a raid in the Borhanuddin Police Station area of Bhola district at 01:15 am on Tuesday. 

DB sources further informed that on the night of December 18, a group of unruly individuals carried out a violent attack, looting, and arson at the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star in Karwan Bazar area. 

Following the incident, DMP collected CCTV footage and conducted a series of raids to identify and apprehend those involved.

Earlier, The Daily Star filed a case accusing 350 to 400 attackers of storming its office on Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue early Friday, assaulting staff, looting cash and equipment, setting several floors on fire and sabotaging safety systems.

Losses were estimated at Taka 40 crore, forcing the newspaper to suspend its print edition on December 19 and halting its online services for 17 hours.

Prothom Alo also filed a case against 400 to 500 unidentified people over a similar attack at its Karwan Bazar office, alleging vandalism, looting, arson and attempts to disrupt publication.

The case was filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act, the Special Powers Act and the Cyber Security Ordinance. Total damages were estimated at around Taka 32 crore, while looted property was valued at Taka 2.5 crore.