Four journalists in Bangladesh were killed and over 200 were injured in violence orchestrated by a third-party force that infiltrated the quota reform movement.
These violent acts were not perpetrated by the students who were peacefully demonstrating for quota reform in government jobs.
Taking advantage of the situation, members of the BNP-Jamaat-Shibir alliance unleashed chaos across the country, including attacks on private media outlets. Journalists and media workers became their targets.
According to reports from the private television channel Boishakhi TV, their premises were attacked, with closed-circuit cameras destroyed, fires set in front of their building, and one of their vehicles vandalized.
Several reporters and camera operators were injured while on duty.
Similarly, DBC News reported that ten of its employees, including five reporters, four video journalists and one production assistant, were injured while covering the incidents. Several of their vehicles were also vandalized.
Somoy TV confirmed that two reporters and six cameramen were injured in the violence, both in the capital Dhaka and in other districts. Even their New York correspondent, Hasanuzzaman Saki, was physically assaulted by supporters of the violent movement.
Independent TV reported that four of their vehicles were vandalized, and three journalists and a cameraman were injured during the chaos.
News 24 said that three of their cameras were damaged, two vehicles were vandalized, and several reporters and cameramen in Dhaka, Savar, and Rangpur were injured in the violence.
Ekattor TV reported that three reporters and several cameramen and video journalists were injured in Dhaka, Narayanganj, and Dinajpur. One of their vehicles was also vandalized.
RTV confirmed that two of their vehicles were vandalized, and five journalists were injured.
NTV reported that one of their vehicles was vandalized and another was burned. Two reporters and two video journalists were also injured.
Both government and private media were indiscriminately attacked by the miscreants.
The state-owned Bangladesh Television (BTV) Bhaban also experienced unprecedented violence on July 18. After decades of relative peace, the broadcaster's facilities were attacked, with arson, vandalism, looting, and brutality.
Miscreants used the quota movement as a pretext to attack BTV, breaking through three main gates, setting fire to the reception room, and destroying several other rooms, including the design section and transport wing.
Despite pleas from BTV officers and staff, the attackers showed no mercy, burning significant parts of the building.
Fire service vehicles were blocked from entering the premises to extinguish the flames, and several of these vehicles were vandalized.
The attackers went on to rampage through the BTV headquarters, destroying the Mujib Corner, BTV Museum, and other areas.
They looted cameras, vandalized the canteen and computer lab, set fire to 17 vehicles, and damaged nine more, including the state broadcaster's state-of-the-art outdoor broadcasting van.
The deceased journalists
Hasan Mehedi, a senior reporter for Dhaka Times, was shot during violence in Jatrabari on the evening of July 18. He was declared dead after being taken to the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College (DMCH).
Tahir Zaman Priyo, a freelance photojournalist, was shot in the head while taking pictures at the Science Laboratory intersection on the afternoon of the next day and died on the spot.
Meanwhile, Abu Taher Md Turab, a journalist for Naya Diganta, was shot while on duty in Sylhet on July 19 and died the next day in hospital.
Lastly, Md Shakil Hossain, the Gazipur correspondent for Daily Bhorer Awaz, was shot and killed while collecting news on July 18.
