On Wednesday morning, news of the tragic death of Sarah Rahanuma, a newsroom editor at GTV (Gazi Television), began circulating on social media across the country.

Her lifeless body was retrieved from Hatirjheel lake late at night by passersby and taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), where she was pronounced dead around 2:00 am.

The police have announced that an investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of her death. However, social media speculation suggests that she may have taken her own life. Her Facebook page provides several indications that she was contemplating suicide.

In the days leading up to her death, Rahanuma shared several distressing messages on her Facebook account. One post addressed to someone named Fahim Faysal conveyed a deep sense of finality: "It was nice having a friend like you. God bless you always. I hope you'll achieve all your dreams soon. I know we had many plans together. Sorry I can't fulfill them. May God bless you in every aspect of your life "In another post, she wrote: "It is better to die than to live a life that feels like death."

Three days ago, she posted: “Now it's time to say goodbye. The journey has been long, but it has also been good. Your efforts have been sufficient. You lack the ability to do anything now. You have lost everything. Nonetheless, I am proud of you. You can now relax and always be alone with yourself. It's best to remain silent and talk to yourself. You should not seek any type of ventilation because it is not suitable for you. Ensure that everything is contained. Become adept at staying alone with only yourself. It's important to know your limits. Stay well.”

While all evidence suggests that she may have taken her own life—though it remains the responsibility of law enforcement to uncover the actual truth—one individual views this death as a severe assault on "freedom of expression." This person is Sajeeb Wazed Joy, the son of the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

In a post on both facebook and social media platform X, Wazed stated, "Rahmuna Sara, Gazi TV newsroom editor, was found dead. Her body was recovered from Hatirjheel Lake in Dhaka city. This is another brutal attack on freedom of expression in Bangladesh. Gazi TV is a secular news channel owned by Golam Dastagir Gazi, who was recently arrested."

Under Joy’s facebook post, Radwan Mujib Siddiq, son of Hasina’s sister Sheikh Rehana commented “Very sad. Strong condemnation and protest that helpless people of Bangladesh have lost their right to speak now.”

His post has garnered nearly 15,000 comments, with many labeling him as a "disinformation spreader" and expressing concern about his mental well-being.. Journalist Zyma Islam commented “I have a question for a tactical disinformation spreader like you–do you really believe the things you say?”

Shifting narratives of Joy

Since Sheikh Hasina's ignominious exit from power amid a massive student-led uprising, Joy, who lives in the United States, has been addressing various media outlets and posting video messages on social media.

However, his statements have been inconsistent, with different media outlets receiving varying accounts of the situation. This has not only attracted criticism but also turned Joy—from once being a figure of authority—into a subject of ridicule.

In Bangladesh’s predominantly dynastic political landscape, Joy, as the eldest son of Hasina, was expected to take on a prominent role within the Awami League, still one of the country's two major parties.

Yet, it appears that the Awami League is facing a potential political downfall, primarily due to Hasina's fleeing–leaving her partymen in danger, and the dissemination of conflicting and inaccurate information by Joy, which has completely diminished his credibility and has made him a laughing stock.

Since Hasina’s fall, Joy has given interviews to numerous media outlets, including BBC, Deutsche Welle, AFP, and Reuters, as well as several Indian channels such as NDTV, WION, Times of India, Republic TV, Press Trust of India (PTI), ET Now, TV9 Bharatbarsh, Mojo Story, CNN-News18, ABP News, Asian News International (ANI), Times Now, and The Indian Express, with some appearing multiple times.

Joy's comments have been contradictory, leading to confusion about the future of the Awami League, given that he has been one of the primary voices for the party during this period.

Joy first addressed the press hours after Hasina's departure on August 5. In an interview with Newshour on BBC World Service, he stated that his mother had been contemplating resignation since the day before and had fled the country for her safety after family members insisted.

However, five days later, after his mother’s departure from Bangladesh, Joy told Reuters, "My mother never officially resigned. She didn't have the opportunity to do so." He indicated that this could lead to legal action against the formation of the interim government.

Conflicting reports emerged the following day from India, with some media outlets stating they had access to a message from Hasina to Awami League supporters.

The alleged statement from Hasina read: "I resigned so that I did not have to see the procession of dead bodies. They wanted to come to power over your [students'] bodies, I did not allow it. I came with power."

Shortly after, Joy posted on X: "The recent resignation statement attributed to my mother published in a newspaper is completely false and fabricated…"

In Joy's BBC interview on the day of Hasina's fall, he expressed her deep disappointment, saying, "She's in her late 70s. After all her hard work, for a minority to rise up against her, I think she's done. My family and I are done."

He repeated this sentiment in interviews with Indian media. On NDTV, he remarked, "It's no longer the [Sheikh] family's responsibility. We have done our part. If the people of Bangladesh let a violent minority take power, they get the leadership they deserve."

However, his tone shifted quickly. On August 8, he told PTI that Sheikh Hasina would return to Bangladesh once democracy is restored. By August 9, he informed WION that Hasina was back in leadership mode and in contact with many party leaders.

The problems with Joy’s conflicting statements

Joy’s inconsistent and conflicting statements have made him a figure of ridicule among much of the country's population, and there is little doubt about that.

However, it seems there is a strategy behind this confusion: to propagate a narrative—both to local Awami League supporters and an uninformed international audience—that Bangladesh has been overtaken by a hostile, non-secular mob aiming to turn the country into an ultra-right-wing state.

The recent example is Joy's comments on the death of Gazi TV newsroom editor Sarah Rahanuma. He labeled her death as a “brutal attack on freedom of expression” while also noting that “Gazi TV is a secular news channel owned by Golam Dastagir Gazi, who was recently arrested.”

Golam Dastagir Gazi was arrested due to his involvement in financial misconduct, a common issue among beneficiaries of Hasina's 15-year rule. His arrest and the supposed “secular stance” of his channel are unrelated to Rahanuma’s death.

Despite this, Joy’s statements were picked up by major Indian media outlets like NDTV and Mint, which reproduced his comments verbatim, adding an unnecessary twist to the narrative surrounding the case.

A number of Indian media are dancing to the tune of Joy’s ridiculous narrative because those are serving the bashing of their popular punchbag–Pakistan and ISI. Joy told a number of Indian media that foreign powers, particularly Pakistan, have been involved in the student protests and popular uprising in Bangladesh.

In an interview with ABP News on August 6, he stated, "I believe the ISI is involved because during the movement, there was an armed attack on the police. Students do not possess firearms; these weapons are held by Jamaat-e-Islami and Shibir. Someone must have supplied these arms, and it is certainly the ISI."

While he denounced the “foreign power”s suppoised intrusion in Bangladesh, he himself invited the Indian government to intervene in Bangladesh's current political crisis in an interview with journalist Barkha Datt.

He expressed skepticism about the interim government's ability to govern and stated, "The Indian government should pressure for a swift and constitutionally mandated return to democracy within 90 days, with free and fair elections including equal participation of the Awami League, especially leading up to the elections."

He made similar appeals in an interview with The Indian Express, urging New Delhi to take a leadership role and ensure the upholding of Bangladesh's constitution.

Given these conflicting narratives, Joy’s comments and misinformation seem to have lost their effectiveness. Rather than aiding the beleaguered Awami League, they appear to be harming the party from various directions. It is now high time for someone to tell him that his approach is failing and that he should reconsider his strategy.

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Harun Ur Rashid is a journalist and researcher