Bangladeshi journalist found dead at sea

A Bangladeshi journalist was found dead in a lake in the capital Dhaka on August 28, amid ongoing tensions in the country. Sajeeb Wazed Joy, the son of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, described the journalist's mysterious death as “another brutal attack” on freedom of expression. The woman, identified as 32-year-old Sarah Rahanuma, worked as an editor in the newsroom of the Bengali media house GaziTVlocal reports said. The cause of death has not yet been confirmed.

What happened to Sarah Rahanuma?

Sarah Rahanuma's body was found floating in Hatirjheel Lake in Dhaka by an unnamed local man, according to the Dhaka Tribune. The man took her to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared her dead on arrival. An autopsy report is pending.

Inspector Bachchu Mia, in-charge of DMCH police outpost, said Rahanuma's body was kept in the mortuary and the incident had been reported to Hatirjheel police station. In a post on X, Sajeeb Wazed raised the possibility that the young journalist's death was due to foul play.

News editor of Rahmuna Sara Gazi TV has been found dead. Her body was recovered from Hatirjheel Lake in Dhaka city. This is another brutal attack on freedom of expression in Bangladesh. Gazi TV is a secular news channel owned by Golam Dastagir Gazi, who was recently arrested.

— Sajeeb Wazed (@sajeebwazed) 28 August 2024

Meanwhile, investigators came across a suspicious Facebook status that Rahanuma posted on August 27. She tagged a person named Fahim Faysal and wrote, “It was nice to have a friend like you… I know we had planned a lot together. Sorry we can't carry out our plans…”

In another Facebook post, Rahanuma wrote: “It is better to die than to live a life that resembles death.” According to some reports, the journalist was suffering from depression and may have committed suicide. However, these speculations have not been confirmed so far.