Munshiganj, Aug 23 (V7N) — The body of senior journalist and columnist Bibhuranjan Sarkar (71) was recovered from the Meghna River near Gazaria, Munshiganj, the day after he went missing. The grim discovery was confirmed when his brother identified the body at Munshiganj General Hospital morgue late Friday night.
 
His younger brother, Chiranjan Sarkar, said: “We have no idea how he died. I can only hope that no one else faces such a fate.” He stressed that there were no personal enmities within the family, and he declined to speculate whether the death was suicide, homicide, or a result of other circumstances.
 
Bibhuranjan Sarkar had left home at 10:00 AM on Thursday, stating he was headed to the office of the newspaper Ajker Patrika in Banasree, but never arrived. He had left his mobile phone at home. When he failed to return by after 1:00 AM, the family filed a missing person’s general diary (GD) at Ramna Police Station that same night.
 
Sarkar’s son, Ritu, confirmed: “My father said he would be home by 5:00 PM. It’s routine for him to leave his phone at home. We were unaware of anything unusual until today.”
 
Local residents discovered an unidentified body floating in the river near Char Balakia around 3:45 PM and informed the authorities. Members of the river police retrieved the body and sent photographs to Ramna Police Station for identification. Bibhuranjan’s brother and son confirmed his identity around 8:45 PM.
 
Md. Saleh Ahmed Pathan, officer in charge at the Kalagachia river outpost, said there were no visible signs of injury on the body. He noted that the body was floating face down, and Bibhuranjan’s glasses were still around his neck. Due to the proximity, the body was taken to Munshiganj General Hospital for an autopsy.
 
Investigating officer Tarikul Islam of Ramna Police Station confirmed that because Bibhuranjan left his mobile at home, his last location could not be determined via technical means. CCTV footage is being reviewed, and other leads are also being pursued.
 
Bibhuranjan Sarkar started his journalism career in the 1960s as a local correspondent for Dainik Azad while still a school student. He later earned a master’s degree from Dhaka University’s Department of Bengali and held senior editorial roles at Dainik Matribhoomi, Saptahik Chalitapatra, and Saptahik Mridubhashan. During the democratic upsurge in the 1980s, his political analysis written under the pen name “Tarik Ibrahim” in Saptahik Jaijaidin garnered widespread attention.
 
The circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear. Authorities await the results of the post-mortem examination to determine the cause.
 
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