Journalist Azahar Ali Sarkar dies month after release on bail

Journalist Azahar Ali Sarkar, who had spent months in jail after being arrested in an Anti-Terrorism Act case, died on Sunday (September 27), about 40 days after being released on bail. He was 57.

Azahar died while being taken from Shamrita Hospital to Bangladesh Medical University after his condition deteriorated, his wife Roksana Parvin said.

He had been suffering from kidney complications for a long time.

Azahar was arrested by the Detective Branch on October 10 last year and was shown arrested the following day in a case filed with Ramna Police Station under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

The case followed the arrest of Bangladeshi-origin US citizen Enayet Karim.

His family had alleged that DB officers took him from his Banasree residence and later complained that he did not receive adequate medical treatment while in custody. He was eventually granted bail on medical grounds on August 17.

Azahar was also shown arrested in another Anti-Terrorism Act case filed with Shahbagh Police Station. He was produced before a court in a wheelchair on June 29 during a hearing on the matter.

According to the case records, the Shahbagh case stemmed from an incident at a Dhaka Reporters Unity programme in August last year, where 16 people, including journalist Manjurul Alam Panna and several other prominent figures, were detained before being implicated in a case.

Azahar had worked for several newspapers, including Dainik Amader Shomoy and Ajker Kagoj. He is survived by two sons.

His namaz-e-janaza was held at Ideal Mosque in Banasree after Asr prayers on Sunday.