Staff at two leading Bangladeshi newspapers say they were left 'gasping for air' as protesters, roused by the death of a prominent activist, set their offices alight. Sharif Osman Hadi, who had emerged as a key figure after last year's anti-government protests that ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was shot in Dhaka last week and died of his injuries on Thursday. Hundreds of protesters stormed the offices of the English-language Daily Star newspaper and Bengali daily Prothom Alo on Thursday night, with demonstrations extending into the following day. It is one of the darkest days for independent journalism in Bangladesh, the Daily Star said in a statement. For the first time in 35 years, the Daily Star could not publish its print edition on Friday and will be inoperable for a while, consulting editor Kamal Ahmed told the BBC. Twenty-eight of our colleagues were trapped in the rooftop of the building for hours... They were gasping for fresh air, Ahmed said. They were rescued only after additional military reinforcement came. No one has been seriously injured, but large parts of the buildings were completely charred when BBC Bangla visited on Friday. The country is making an historical democratic transition, it stated, which must not be derailed by those few who thrive on chaos and reject peace. Other prominent buildings, including the home of the country's first president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was Hasina's father, were also vandalized and set on fire on Thursday. Hadi, 32, was a senior leader of the student protest group Inqilab Mancha, and planned to contest in next February's election as an independent candidate. His death has been labeled a premeditated attack aimed at derailing the upcoming elections, sparking a call for national mourning by the interim government.