Man found dead in Dhanmondi lake: Police suspect suicide, await viscera report

Police suspect that a 51-year-old man, whose body was recovered from the capital’s Dhanmondi lake on 22 September, died by suicide, citing his long-standing ‘financial difficulties and mental distress’.

The deceased was identified as Javed Ahmed. However, police are waiting for the viscera report to determine whether there was any other cause of death or involvement of anyone else.

Speaking to The Business Standard, Dhanmondi Police Station Officer-in-Charge Imdadul Islam Tayeb said police had examined the man’s movements from the time he went missing until his death, along with other relevant matters.

“So far, we have not found any suspicious information,” he said.

On the evening of 20 September, Javed left his home in Bashundhara Residential Area, saying he was going to Dhanmondi. He did not return home, and his last known location was in Kalabagan.

After being unable to contact him and finding that he had not returned, his wife, Shahana Zabin Khan, filed a general diary with Vatara Police Station.

On the morning of 22 September, Javed’s body was recovered from the lake beneath a bridge behind a hotel on Dhanmondi Road 10. He apparently had been missing for two days.

Locals spotted the body floating in the lake and informed police through the national emergency service 999. Police then recovered the body and sent it to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy.

A national identity card and mobile phone found in Javed’s pocket helped police establish his identity. His wife was informed and later went to the scene and identified the body as her husband’s.

The preliminary findings from the autopsy indicated that Javed had been submerged in water for around 25 hours, the OC said.
He also His body had decomposed by about 40% because of the prolonged immersion.

No injury marks were found in the inquest report, he added.

Earlier, on the day the body was recovered, Dhanmondi Police Station Sub-Inspector MM Abdul Gafur had said, citing information from Javed’s family, that he had been unemployed for a long time and was struggling financially.

Javed had also been physically ill for the previous four to five months and was mentally distressed, the officer said.

The officer also said Javed had previously worked as a marketing consultant but did not have a regular job at the time of his death.

Police said they learned from his family that he had been trying to earn through freelancing but was not getting the expected results. Police also learned that he had not received the support he expected from friends, which had reportedly added to his frustration.

His financial difficulties, unemployment and personal frustration had left him mentally distressed for some time, according to information gathered by police.

A relative told TBS that the family was in a distressed state following Javed’s death and would not comment to the media

Javed’s permanent address was in Banani, but he lived with his family in Bashundhara Residential Area. He was the father of a son and a daughter.

Police said the viscera report would help determine the cause of death more conclusively. They are also examining Javed’s movements, communications, and mental state before his death as part of the investigation.