A heavy pall of grief hung over the journalism community in Barishal on Saturday as colleagues, civic leaders, and friends gathered to pay their final respects to Pulak Chatterjee, former bureau chief of daily Samakal.
The quiet reverence at the Barishal Press Club was shattered only by muted sobs when his body arrived at around 12:30 pm. Black flags fluttered at half-mast, and journalists wearing black badges stood shoulder-to-shoulder, placing floral wreaths upon the casket of a man who had long been a pillar of regional reporting.
Barishal City Corporation Administrator Advocate Bilkis Akter Jahan Shirin joined grieving representatives from various social and cultural organisations to pay tribute.
Pulak was remembered by peers not only as a formidable editorial talent, but as an intensely kind-hearted colleague whose passing leaves a profound void across the district’s newsrooms. “He may no longer be amongst us, but the integrity of his pen and the warmth of his companionship will live on,” reflected one veteran journalist leader during an emotional eulogy.
The tragedy unfolded on Friday evening when police found Pulak’s hanging body from Samakal’s bureau office on Parara Road. Officers broke open the office door to recover the body, which was later sent to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital for a post-mortem examination. Pulak had served as the newspaper’s Barishal bureau chief until his dismissal in May 2023, though he frequently continued to visit and spend time at the office.
Barishal Metropolitan Police Commissioner Abu Raihan Muhammad Saleh confirmed that five suicide notes were recovered at the scene. In a note addressed to the administration, Pulak wrote that no one was responsible for his death, citing agonising physical suffering, “I tried a lot to remain healthy… but could not recover. My illness was pushing me back socially.”
Other notes were left for his family and close colleagues. In messages to his wife Priyanka, daughter Prakriti, brother Dipak, and sister-in-law Iti, he asked for forgiveness, asked Dipak to look after his family, and urged his daughter to continue her studies and music lessons.
Addressing Barishal Press Club General Secretary SM Zakir Hossain and his longtime colleague Suman Chowdhury, Pulak requested support for his family.
In his note to Suman, he expressed regret for causing embarrassment and asked that any outstanding financial dues owed to him by Samakal be recovered and handed to his wife.
At the memorial, press leaders echoed his final wish, calling on authorities and his former employer to settle his dues promptly. Following the press club tribute, Pulak’s body was taken home for family farewells before his final journey to the Barishal Mahashmashan for last rites.
