With profound grief, we bid farewell to Bibhu Rajan Sarkar, a veteran journalist, fearless columnist, and uncompromising liberal voice of Bangladesh. After being missing for two days, his lifeless body was recovered from the Meghna River, leaving the nation shaken and grieving.
For over five decades, Bibhu Rajan Sarkar chronicled the soul of Bangladesh. From the Liberation War to the political upheavals that shaped the country, his pen became a mirror of truth. He did not write for privilege or favor; he wrote for “the people, the nation, and the duty of truth.”
In his final open letter, now a haunting testament to his struggles and ideals, he reflected on a lifetime of sacrifices.
“I have witnessed the country’s transformations, movements, uprisings, and political changes. Throughout this time, I have written for truth, for the people, and for the nation. Yet today, as I reflect on my life, I feel deeply that living by writing the truth is not easy.”
Bibhu Rajan Sarkar was a journalist who refused to compromise. Even in times of repression, he wielded courage as his only shield. During Ershad’s regime, he wrote under pseudonyms to survive, but, as he said, “Even when I concealed my name, I never concealed truth.”
His words were rooted in love for Bangladesh and an unshakable belief in democracy, secularism, and justice. Yet behind his powerful writings lay a life of silent hardships. In his letter, he revealed the cruel realities he endured:
“Perhaps that is why, after more than fifty years, I still earn no respectable salary or allowance. My monthly medicine costs alone are unbearable. I suffer from arthritis, liver cirrhosis, diabetes, and heart disease. Borrowing has become unavoidable.”
Despite his unwavering stance for liberation, secular values, and free thought, Bibhu Rajan Sarkar never sought wealth, status, or rewards. In his own words, “I never knowingly neglected responsibility or shirked work. I may not be brave, but no one has ever forced me to write against my will.”
He lamented a journalism landscape where truth is often buried under personal gain:
“Today’s journalism faces different challenges. Many write by concealing truth that are driven by benefit, interest, status, or money. But even when I concealed my name, I never concealed truth.”
Bibhu Rajan Sarkar’s life was a paradox that a man of towering ideals who lived with humble means, a patriot who gave everything to his nation yet received little in return. His pen carried courage when his pockets were empty. His heart carried hope when his health was failing.
Bangladesh has lost more than a journalist. It has lost a witness to its history, a guardian of its conscience, and a patriot who believed in a better tomorrow. His passing is not just a personal tragedy but a collective wound for the nation.
“I write because I believed journalism meant courage. Speaking truth means risking life. Fifty years tell me that truth sometimes demands sacrifice of comfort. I never sought comfort. But I never wanted to spend my life with hand out, begging.”
Bibhu Rajan Sarkar’s voice may have fallen silent, but his ideals live on. His words remain etched in our memory that reminders of a journalism rooted in dignity, courage, and love for the motherland.
May his soul rest in eternal peace. May his legacy inspire generations to defend truth fearlessly, to cherish democracy deeply, and to uphold the ideals he carried in his pen until his last breath.
