Seeing himself on the list of July martyrs, journalist Sohel said, ‘I am not dead.

Dhaka, August 18, 2026: Journalist and writer Mizanur Rahman Sohel has publicly clarified that he is alive after his photograph was mistakenly used in a presentation identifying another journalist as a martyr of the July uprising.

In a Facebook post on Monday, Sohel wrote, “I am not dead! I am Mizanur Rahman Sohel, a writer and journalist. And yes, I am still alive.”

Sohel said he began receiving calls from colleagues, journalists, relatives and well-wishers after a presentation at a programme at Dhaka’s Hotel Westin identified him as a journalist who was “martyred” in Habiganj on July 4, 2024.

According to Sohel, the presentation used the name of journalist Sohel Akandji but mistakenly displayed Sohel’s photograph.

The event was organised by the Democratic Journalist Alliance, with National Citizen Party (NCP) convener and opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam as the chief guest.

Sohel expressed shock and disappointment, saying that presenting a living person as dead was more than a simple factual error. He questioned whether the organisers had properly verified the journalist’s name, photograph and status before using the information in a public presentation.

He said he is not a victim of the July uprising and did not die in Habiganj on July 4, 2024. He remains alive, continues to write and is in contact with people.

Sohel said he does not want to unfairly blame anyone, but called for a responsible explanation and correction of the misinformation.