A wave of shock and concern has swept through Bangladesh following the discovery of the body of Sarah Rahanuma, a journalist for Gazi TV, in Hatirjheel Lake in Dhaka. Her death, declared upon arrival at Dhaka Medical College Hospital in the early hours of Wednesday, has been met with accusations of a brutal attack on freedom of expression by opposition leaders.
The circumstances surrounding Rahanuma’s death remain shrouded in mystery, with many pointing to two cryptic Facebook posts she shared mere hours before her passing. On Tuesday night, Rahanuma posted a series of photos and tagged Fahim Faysal, writing, “It was nice having a friend like you. God bless you always. Hope, you’ll fulfill all your dreams soon. I know we had a lots of planning together. Sorry, can’t fulfill our plannings. May god bless you in every aspects of your life.” An hour later, Faysal commented, pleading with Rahanuma to avoid harming herself.
The timing of Rahanuma’s death comes amidst a period of heightened tension surrounding the media in Bangladesh. Gazi TV, a secular news channel owned by Golam Dastagir Gazi (who was recently arrested), has been outspoken in its criticism of the government. Just hours before her death, the channel posted on social media: “It was better to die than to live a life akin to death.”
Sajeeb Wazed, the US-based son of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, weighed in on the tragedy on X, writing, “Rahmuna Sara Gazi TV newsroom editor was found dead. Her body was recovered from Hatirjheel Lake in the 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 arrested a recently.”
While the cause of death remains under investigation, the incident has sparked widespread condemnation and calls for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding Rahanuma’s death. Many fear that this tragic event underscores a growing pattern of intimidation and violence against journalists in Bangladesh, raising serious concerns about the state of freedom of expression in the country.
In a separate development, the interim administration led by Nobel Prize-winning economist Muhammad Yunus lifted a ban on the Jamaat-e-Islami, the country’s largest Islamist party, on Wednesday. The party had been restricted during the final days of the Sheikh Hasina-led administration. According to a notice issued by the home ministry, the authorities did not find any “specific evidence” of involvement of Jamaat-e-Islami and its associated organization Islami Chhatra Shibir in violence or any subversive activity.
