Bangladesh TV journalist's body recovered from Dhaka's lake; Sheikh Hasina's son says, death 'brutal attack' on free speech

Journalist Sarah Rahanuma (Image Facebook)

The body of a Bangladeshi TV journalist was recovered from Hatirjheel Lake in Dhaka on Wednesday, ANI said citing local media. The journalist, identified as 32-year-old Sarah Rahanuma, was a newsroom editor at Gazi TV.

Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's US-based son, Sajeeb Wazed, condemned the journalist's death, calling it "another brutal attack" on the freedom of expression in Bangladesh.

According to ANI, in a post on social media platform X, Wazed stated, "Rahmuna Sara, Gazi TV newsroom editor, was 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."

Additionally, the Dhaka Tribune reported that a man who discovered the body and brought the deceased to the hospital said, "I saw the woman floating in Hatirjheel Lake. Later, she was brought to DMCH, where doctors declared her dead."

As per ANI, prior to her death, Rahanuma had posted a status on her Facebook account on Tuesday night, tagging one Fahim Faysal. The post read, "It was nice having a friend like you. God bless you always. Hope you'll fulfill all your dreams soon. I know we had lots of planning together. Sorry, can't fulfill our plannings. May God bless you in every aspect of your life." In an earlier post, she wrote, "It is better to die than to live a life akin to death."

Inspector Bachchu Mia, in charge of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) police outpost, confirmed the incident, according to The Dhaka Tribune. The body has been kept in the DMCH morgue, and the case has been reported to Hatirjheel police station for further investigation.