Senior journalist Pulak Chatterjee, a former Barishal bureau chief of daily Samakal, was found hanging inside the newspaper’s Barishal office on Friday evening.
Police recovered his body from the office on Pyara Road after breaking open the door, which was locked from inside.
Suman Chowdhury, the current Barishal bureau chief of Samakal, said Pulak was relieved of his bureau chief post in 2023 but continued to visit the office from time to time, often to read newspapers.
Suman said he arrived at the office around 6pm and found the door locked from inside. After looking through an opening, he saw Pulak hanging from a rope.
He informed people nearby, who then called police. Officers later arrived and entered the office after breaking open the door before recovering the body.
Sushanta Sarkar, deputy commissioner of Barishal Metropolitan Police, said police entered the office in the presence of people at the scene.
“Based on the initial findings, it appears to be a case of suicide. However, the exact circumstances will be clear after an investigation,” he said.
A Criminal Investigation Department (CID) team will investigate the incident, police said.
The death has cast a pall of grief over Barishal’s media community, with journalists and former colleagues gathering at the scene after hearing the news.
Several colleagues called for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
Senior journalist Pulak Chatterjee was a member of the current executive committee of the Barishal Press Club.
