Bangladeshi scribe found dead, Hasina’s son slams ‘brutal attack against…’

Bangladeshi TV journalist Sarah Rahanuma was found dead in a lake in Dhaka on Wednesday. The incident was dubbed ‘another brutal attack’ against freedom of expression by Opposition leaders. The update came mere hours after the Gazi TV journalist insisted on social media that it was “better to die than to live a life akin to death”.
According to reports, Rahanuma was discovered in Hatirjheel Lake by a passerby in the early hours of Wednesday. She was declared dead upon arrival after being taken to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital at around 2 am.
“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 (sic),” wrote Sajeeb Wazed — the US-based son of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina — on X.
The cause of death remains under investigation with many flagging two cryptic Facebook updates shared by the journalist mere hours before her death. Rahanuma had posted a series of photos on the social media platform and tagged one Fahim Faysal on Tuesday night.
“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,” she wrote.
A comment by Faysal followed about an hour later, pleading with Rahanuma to avoid harming herself.
Meanwhile, the interim administration led by Nobel Prize-winning economist Muhammad Yunus withdrew a ban against the Jamaat-e-Islami on Wednesday. The country’s largest Islamist party had been restricted during the final days of the Sheikh Hasina-led administration. According to a notice issued by the home ministry on Wednesday, the authorities did not find any “specific evidence” of involvement of Jamaat-e-Islami and its associated organisation Islami Chhatra Shibir in violence or any subversive activity.
(With inputs from agencies)