Journalist Azhar Dies a Month After Bail Release Following a Year in Jail While Ill

❐ Staff Reporter

Journalist Azhar Ali Sarkar died on Sunday afternoon, one month and ten days after being released on bail after being arrested under the Anti-Terrorism Act and spending nearly a year in jail. The 57-year-old journalist, who had been suffering from kidney problems for a long time, died on the way to the hospital for treatment.

Azhar Ali’s wife Roksana Parveen said her husband was undergoing treatment at the capital’s Samarita Hospital. When his physical condition deteriorated, he was taken out of the hospital to Bangladesh Medical University around 1:10 pm on Sunday. He died on the way.

The family claimed that Azhar Ali, a father of two sons, was arrested by the DB police from his home in Banasree in the capital on October 10 last year. The next day, he was shown arrested in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act at Ramna Police Station.

The case was filed after the arrest of Enayet Karim Chowdhury, a US citizen of Bangladeshi origin.

According to the case details, on September 13 last year at around 10:30 am, police arrested Enayet Karim for allegedly moving around in a Prado car in a “suspicious manner” in the Minto Road area. He was later arrested in a case under the Anti-Terrorism Act at Ramna Model Police Station.

Enayet Karim’s associate SM Golam Mostafa Azad and Jatiya Party’s pro-Raushan faction Secretary General Kazi Mamunur Rashid were also arrested in the case. Later, Azhar Ali was shown arrested in the same case.

Azhar Ali’s family had complaints about his illness and treatment while in prison. He applied for bail several times citing illness, but it was initially not granted.

Despite being granted bail by the High Court in that case, on June 18, Akhtar Morshed, inspector of the Ramna division of the DB Police, requested that he be arrested in another case filed at Shahbagh Police Station under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

The case was filed by Shahbagh Police Station after 16 people, including Awami League leader Latif Siddiqui, journalist Manjurul Alam Panna, Professor Hafizur Rahman Karzon and Abdullahil Qayyum, were detained at a discussion event on the Liberation War and the Constitution.

They were allegedly “victims of a mob” after attending a program by an organization called “Manch 71” at Dhaka Reporters Unity on August 28 last year. A case was later filed against them.

On June 29, the day of the hearing on the arrest warrant for Azhar Ali in that case, he was brought to court in a wheelchair. Even then, a bail application was filed citing illness, but it was not granted.

Later, on August 17, the court granted bail to Azhar Ali due to illness. He died on Sunday, a month and ten days after being released from prison.

Azhar Ali has been involved in journalism for a long time. He has worked for media outlets like dailies ‘Amader Soyo’ and ‘Aajker Kagoj’.

His funeral was held at the Ideal Mosque in Banasree in the capital after Asr prayers on Sunday.