Police recovered the body of journalist Wahid Uz-Zaman Bulu from the Rupsha Bridge in Khulna around 7pm on Sunday, who was supposedly murdered before the body was dumped there.
Wahed was a senior staff reporter of the Sangbad Pratidin. He was a member of the Khulna Press Club and the Khulna Union of Journalists (KUJ).
Sub-Inspector Bellal Hossain of the Rupsha Naval Police Outpost confirmed the recovery of the body from the basement of the pillar of Bridge Number 2 of Khan Jahan Ali Bridge, built over the Rupsha River.
He said that there are injury marks on the right hand and face. The matter of taking legal action in this incident is underway.
In-charge of the Rupsha Naval Police Outpost, Abul Khair said, โThe body of journalist Bulu was found under the Rupsa Bridge. His identity has been confirmed from the NID found in the pocket of the recovered body.โ
Two eyewitnesses, including a nut seller, said that the man jumped from the bridge voluntarily. He was wearing blue gabardine pants and a sky-blue T-shirt.
Another eyewitness said that the matter of jumping from the bridge is mysterious. Because someone would not commit suicide by wearing sunglasses. Moreover, there was no water in the Rupsha River where he jumped.
โHow did he not fall into the water but into the pillar’s basement when he jumped? Several injury marks were seen on his body.โ
Meanwhile, senior police officials have visited the scene after receiving the news. PBI and CID teams are investigating the cause of his death.
Abdur Rahim, in-charge of the Salt Lake Police Outpost, said that they went to the scene when the locals informed them about the matter around 7pm. We saw the bloody body there and informed the naval police. It is believed that he died by falling from the bridge.
It is the second incident of recovery of a journalistโs body from the rivers in just 10 days amid an atmosphere of fear and instability in the media sector.
On August 22, the body of freedom fighter and senior journalist Bibhuranjan Sarker from the Meghna River in Munshiganj. On the same day, BDNEWS published an open letter by the late journalist, in which some of the comments are being considered as serious allegations of creating โpressureโ and โanxietyโ directly from the interim government.
Activists have demanded a judicial investigation and legal action against the chief adviserโs press wing based on complaints mentioned by journalist Bibhuranjan Sarker in his open letter.
They demand the immediate release of all imprisoned journalists, the withdrawal of all harassment cases, and an end to any kind of oppression of journalists. They think that since August 5 last year, journalists in Bangladesh have been subjected to indescribable torture. The right to express opinions is being killed in the media and on social media in Bangladesh. Various written and unwritten controls are being imposed, and pressure is being applied through various techniques.
Data from the River Police Headquarters shows that at least 301 bodies of men, women, and children were recovered from rivers across the country between January and July this year. The highest number of bodies, 34, was found in Narayanganj, followed by 32 in Dhaka.
Of them, 209 were later identified, while 92 remain unidentified. Last year, at least 440 bodies were recovered from rivers, of whom 141 remain unidentified.
This year so far, at least 41 murder cases have been filed in connection with recovered bodies, compared to 53 cases last year.
River police recovered an average of 43 bodies every month this year, compared to 36 per month last year. Data from the River Police Headquarters shows that at least 301 bodies of men, women, and children were recovered from rivers across the country between January and July this year.
The highest number of bodies, 34, was found in Narayanganj, followed by 32 in Dhaka.
English