Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
The body of veteran Bangladeshi journalist and columnist Bibhuranjan Sarkar, who went missing on Thursday, has been recovered from the Meghna River in Munshiganj. He was 71.
Saleh Ahmed Pathan, in-charge of Kalagachhia River Police outpost, said the body was found floating near Kalagachhia and was identified using photographs shared by Dhaka’s Ramna police. “A body has been found in the Meghna River. We have largely confirmed the identity. The family has verified it and formalities have been completed,” said Masud Alam, deputy commissioner of DMP’s Ramna Division.
Bibhuranjan, a senior assistant editor at Bengali daily Ajker Patrika and a widely read columnist, had sent his final piece to bdnews24.com at 9:15am on Thursday with a striking footnote: “This may be published as my final piece.” Titled Khola Chithi (Open Letter), the article— published on Friday— detailed his own and his son’s illnesses, his daughter’s struggle with official exams, his son’s difficulty in securing a job despite a Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) degree, and his financial distress.
According to his family, Bibhuranjan left his Siddheshwari home around 10am on Thursday for his Banasree office, leaving his phone behind. When he did not return by night, his son Wreet filed a general diary (GD) at Ramna Model Police Station. “Like every day, my father left for office at 10am. But he did not return home by 9pm. We searched at his office and contacted the acting editor Kamrul Hasan, who said he had not arrived there either. After searching everywhere, when we couldn’t find him, we filed a GD,” Wreet said.
He added: “My father had no personal disputes with anyone. We have checked everywhere but have not been able to trace him.” Acting editor Kamrul Hasan described him as “a calm and soft-spoken individual.”
Police had earlier said tracing him was difficult as he had left his phone at home. “If he had taken it, it might have been easier to trace him,” said Ramna OC Golam Faruk.
His younger brother, Chiraranjan Sarkar, confirmed Bibhuranjan had been battling depression. In a Facebook post late Thursday, he wrote: “My brother left home at 10am to go to the office as usual. Later we found he did not reach the office or visit any familiar places. No one saw him. By 1am he had not returned. He had left his mobile at home. We filed a GD with Ramna Police. The whole family is extremely worried.”
By Friday afternoon, Munshiganj police confirmed recovery of his body from the Meghna.