Dhaka, August 28 — The body of Rahnuma Sara, a newsroom editor for the private television channel GTV, was recovered from Hatirjheel in Dhaka around 3 pm on Tuesday. Sara was found unconscious and quickly taken to the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where the attending doctor pronounced her dead. 

Sara's home is located in Kalyanpur, and her father's name is Bakhtiar Shikdar. 

Before her death, Rahnuma Sara posted a message on Facebook addressed to a friend, stating: "Nice to have a friend like you, may God bless you always. Hope you fulfill all your dreams soon, I know we have many plans together. Sorry couldn't fulfill our plans, God bless." Additionally, she wrote, "It is better to die than to be alive," and in the comment section of that post, she wrote, "I will die today." 

Due to these posts, the police suspect that Sara committed suicide. Dhaka Medical College Hospital police camp in-charge Bachchu Mia confirmed the death and mentioned that the body is currently in the morgue. The incident has been reported to the relevant police station for further investigation.

Sajeeb Wazed Joy, the grandson of Bangladesh's founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, shared a post on his Facebook page regarding the incident. He wrote, "GTV newsroom editor Sara Rahnuma was found dead. Her body was recovered from Hatirjheel lake in Dhaka." Joy also commented that this incident is another brutal attack on freedom of expression in Bangladesh, noting that GTV, a secular news channel, has recently faced challenges, including the arrest of its owner, Golam Dastgir Gazi.

Twelve hours before her body was found, Sara had posted on Facebook expressing distress about the difficulties faced by journalists, stating, "It is better to die than to be alive," and added, "I will die today." A day before, she had also posted about the struggles journalists face, saying, "While covering so many movements every day, only ordinary journalists are not getting the time to take part in the movement with their fair dues, salaries, etc.! Our job is just to cover the news. It will work even if there is no rice in the stomach."

The exact reason behind Sara's death remains unclear, and the investigation is ongoing.