Law enforcement agencies maintained presence for at least four hours in front of four media outlets in Dhaka following a siege threat issued by Jasimuddin Rahmani, the recently released head of the banned militant group Ansarullah Bangla Team.
Despite the threats made against Daily Kalbela, Prothom Alo, The Daily Star, and Daily Samakal, no untoward incidents occurred.
On Friday, Rahmani announced plans to siege the media offices at 3pm In response, law enforcement positioned themselves outside the outlets before Friday prayers.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Additional Deputy Commissioner (Media) Obaidur Rahman said that police were deployed for security reasons, saying that they could be redeployed if necessary.
A journalist from Daily Kalbela said that around 1pm, a significant number of law enforcement officials, including a water cannon, arrived in front of their New Market office, departing around 5pm.
No incidents were reported during their presence. Similarly, a journalist from The Daily Star noted law enforcement outside their office at 1pm, with officers leaving by 5pm.
No threats were reported at Prothom Alo or Samakal either, but the threats and law enforcement presence created anxiety among staff members at all four outlets.
Journalists emphasized the need for swift legal action against Jasimuddin Rahmani, who had been imprisoned as a spiritual leader of the banned group and has recently made threats against media outlets.
In a press conference on Thursday, Mahfuz Alam, special assistant to the chief adviser, said that law enforcement had ensured security after receiving information about the threats to the media outlets.