Prothom Alo

Prothom Alo () is a Bengali-language daily newspaper in Bangladesh. It is published from Dhaka. It is one of the most read newspapers in the country. A survey in 2018 said that more than 6.6 million people read Prothom Alo online every day. Alexa Internet is an American company that looks at website traffic. They said the online portal of Prothom Alo is the most visited Bengali website in the world.

The newspaper has been running for 27 years. However, on 19 December 2025, it could not print its paper for the first time. This happened because of an attack on its office.

History
Prothom Alo started on 4 November 1998. At first, it made 42,000 copies. Later, this number grew to half a million copies. The newspaper became famous because it wrote about serious problems. It reported on acid attacks and violence against women. It wanted stronger laws to stop the sale of acid. The paper has printing presses in Dhaka, Chittagong, and Bogra. About 500,000 copies are sent out every day (numbers from 2014). A survey in 2018 said that 6.6 million people read the paper copy daily. The total number of people who read it online and in print is about 7.6 million.[National Media Survey 2018, SIRIUS Marketing and Social Research Ltd. (Associate of IMRB International)]

On 17 May 2021, a reporter named Rozina Islam was held for five hours at the Bangladesh Secretariat. She went there to report on the health ministry. An official filed a case against her. They used the Official Secrets Act. Police took her to the Shahbagh Police Station. They questioned her for five days. She was let out of Kashimpur prison on bail on 23 May 2021.

Digital platforms
The website of Prothom Alo is the top Bangladeshi website in the world. About 1.6 million people visit it from 200 different countries. It gets 60 million page views every month. Its e-paper (digital paper) is also the number one e-paper site in Bangladesh. 

Editors
Since= its founding in 1998, Matiur Rahman is the main editor. In 2005, he won the Ramon Magsaysay Award. He won this for his work in journalism and literature.

 Mathematics Olympiad 
Prothom Alo helped make mathematics popular in Bangladesh. It started the Mathematics Olympiad in the country in 2003. It is a main sponsor of the Bangladesh Mathematics Olympiad.

Recognition
Prothom Alo fights against bad things in society. It campaigns against acid violence, drugs, HIV/AIDS, and religious terrorism. Because of this work, the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation gave Matiur Rahman an award in 2005. They said he helps bring good changes to society. This award is like the 'Nobel Prize of Asia'. Rahman gave the prize money to the Prothom Alo Trust. This money helps women burnt by acid, fights drugs, and helps journalists who are in trouble. In 2025, the newspaper won the 'Best in South Asia' award from the International News Media Association (INMA).

Sister concerns
Prothom Alo is owned by Mediastar Ltd. It has other businesses too:
 ABC Radio FM 89.2: This radio station started on 7 January 2009. It is very popular in Dhaka. It also plays in Chittagong and Cox's Bazar.
 Prothoma Prokashon: This is a company that prints books. It started in 2008. People praise it for making high-quality books. It won awards from the Bangla Academy in 2011, 2012, and 2013.
 Prothoma Boier Dunia: This is a book store. There are five stores in Dhaka, Chittagong, and Rajshahi.
 Protichinta: This is a magazine about society, money, and politics. It comes out every three months.
 Kishor Alo: This is a monthly magazine for young people. It started in October 2013. It has stories, poems, games, and science facts. It uses many volunteers across Bangladesh.
 Biggan Chinta: This is a science magazine. It started in October 2016. It writes about astrophysics, environmental science, and science fiction.
 Chakri.com: This website lists jobs. It also helps with career advice and training.

Controversy and criticism
 Religious and social disputes 
Prothom Alo has had problems with Islamic groups. These groups said the newspaper did not respect their religion. In 2007, a magazine called Alpin was part of the newspaper. It printed a cartoon. People thought the cartoon made fun of a name linked to Muhammad. Islamist groups were very angry. They protested all over the country. The government stopped the magazine for a short time. The newspaper said sorry. Police arrested the cartoonist on 18 September 2007. He was in jail for six months. In 2010, Anisul Hoque wrote a book called Gadya Cartoon. People said it made fun of the Quran. Islamic critics wanted the book removed. They said the paper was hurting religious values.

In late 2024, trouble started again. The newspaper called some Islamists "militants." On 24 November 2024, Islamic organizations protested outside the newspaper's main office in Karwan Bazar. The protests became violent. A mob tried to attack the office in Chittagong. In Rajshahi and Bogura, attackers broke things and burned signboards. The editor said the accusations were not true. He said people were attacking independent journalism. Groups like the Newspaper Owners' Association of Bangladesh (NOAB) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said these attacks were bad for press freedom.

 Political and legal challenges 
The newspaper has faced legal and political trouble. In March 2023, it wrote a report about the high cost of living during Ramadan. There was a mismatch between a photo of a child and the text. The paper fixed the mistake. But, the government filed a case under the Digital Security Act (DSA). They sued editor Matiur Rahman and a reporter. They said the paper made the country look bad. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called the newspaper an "enemy" of the people. Rahman later got bail. Amnesty International said the government was harassing the press.

In 2012, the High Court issued an injunction (a legal order). It was about Humayun Ahmed's novel Deyal. The paper published the novel. The court questioned how the book described the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In 2007, Rahman wrote an editorial criticizing the BNP-Jamaat alliance. Islamist groups did not like this. Recently, other news sources accused Prothom Alo of being biased.

 Management and corporate allegations 
The newspaper and its owner, Transcom Group, have faced other accusations. On 1 November 2019, Naimul Abrar died. He was a student at Dhaka Residential Model College. He was electrocuted at an event organized by Kishor Alo, the newspaper's magazine. Police said the organizers were careless. A court ordered the arrest of the editor and others in January 2020.

People also accused Transcom Group CEO Simeen Rahman of money crimes. There are claims she tried to bribe former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to stop legal cases. There are also claims about stealing family shares using fake documents. Some critics say editor Matiur Rahman and The Daily Star editor Mahfuz Anam helped with these bad acts.

 Arson at head office 
On 18 December 2025, the main office of Prothom Alo was attacked. The building is in Karwan Bazar, Dhaka. This happened after Inqilab Mancha leader Sharif Osman Hadi died.

Late that night, a mob of protesters marched to the office. They came from Shahbag. Witnesses said the attackers were a group of extremist youths. They climbed the building. They broke things in the front room and smashed windows. Then, they set fire to furniture and papers at the entrance.

Police tried to stop them but failed. Journalists and workers were trapped inside during the violence.

Prothom Alo said the attack was planned. The fire caused a lot of damage. It destroyed valuable documents. The organization called it a "terrorist attack." Mahfuz Anam said he now fears for journalists' safety more than anything else. Anam said the attack was not an accident. He said it was "murderous."

Chief Adviser of Bangladesh Muhammad Yunus said the attack was very bad. He said it hurt independent media and democracy. Many groups condemned the attack. These included the Newspaper Owners’ Association of Bangladesh (NOAB), the Editors' Council, and Transparency International Bangladesh.

The EU ambassador to Bangladesh also condemned the incident. He called it a "terrible moment" for democracy.

External links



References

Category:Bengali language
Category:Newspapers in Asia
Category:1998 establishments in Asia
Category:Dhaka
Category:News websites