'It is Better to Die...': Bangladeshi Journalist Found Dead in Dhaka Lake

Dhaka: The body of Sarah Rahanuma, a 32-year-old TV journalist, was recovered from Hatirjheel Lake in Dhaka on Wednesday, according to media reports. Rahanuma, a newsroom editor at Gazi TV, was found floating in the lake and was pronounced dead at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) around 2:00 am.

Inspector Bachchu Mia, from the DMCH police outpost, confirmed the recovery of Rahanuma's body. Pedestrians who discovered her body pulled it from the lake and brought it to the hospital.

A man named Sagar, who took Rahanuma to the hospital, said, "I saw the woman floating in Hatirjheel Lake. Later, she was brought to DMCH, where doctors declared her dead.”

Before her death, Rahanuma posted a status on Facebook tagging Fahim Faysal, saying, "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 lot of planning together. Sorry, can't fulfill our plans. May god bless you in every aspect of your life."

In another post, she wrote, "It is better to die than to live a life akin to death."

Inspector Bachchu Mia reported that the body is currently in the DMCH morgue, and an investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of death.

Sajeeb Wazed, the US-based son of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, commented on the incident, calling it "another brutal attack" on freedom of expression in Bangladesh. Wazed posted on X, "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 arrested recently."

Rahanuma had gone to work on the day of the incident but did not return home that night. Her husband, Sayed Shuvro, informed Somoy News that she had expressed a desire to separate from him and that they had planned to finalize their divorce at a Kazi office, which they were unable to do due to the current situation in the country.

The circumstances surrounding Rahanuma's death remain unclear, as investigations are underway.