Today marks the 13th anniversary of the brutal murder of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi, with investigation agencies still struggling to identify the perpetrators and uncover the motive behind the killing.
Despite the passing of over a decade, the case remains unresolved, leaving journalists and the family members frustrated by the lack of progress in the double murder case, said journalists.
Sagar Sarowar, the news editor of private television channel Maasranga, and his wife Meherun Runi, a reporter for ATN Bangla, were both stabbed to death in their rented flat in the capital鈥檚 West Raja Bazar on February 11, 2012.
A day after the killings, Nousher Ali Roman, Runi鈥檚 brother, filed a case with Sher-e-Bangla police station.
Since then, the investigation has been plagued by numerous delays, with the court granting 116 extensions for the submission of the probe report.
Nousher told 抖阴精品, 鈥榃e are frustrated as the mystery of the double murder is yet to be unearthed in the past 13 years during the Awami League regime.鈥�
鈥楬owever, now we are hopeful that the interim government will complete the probe through a fair investigation and ensure justice for the victims,鈥� he said.
The investigation has been handed over to multiple agencies in the past 13 years, including the police, Detective Branch and Rapid Action Battalion. However, none have made any significant progress.
Following the failure of the police, Detective Branch and RAB to resolve the case, the PBI took over the investigation on November 4, 2024.
Even under the PBI鈥檚 supervision, no substantial progress has been made in the past three months.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the delay, Dhaka Reporters Unity general secretary Mainul Hasan Sohel said, 鈥楾hirteen years have passed, but the perpetrators are still unidentified.鈥�
He said, 鈥榃e urge the interim government to uncover the mystery of these murders and ensure justice without further delay.鈥�
Mainul also said that the organisation would hold a protest rally in front of the DRU at 11:00am today, demanding justice for the murdered journalists.
On January 27, Dhaka metropolitan magistrate GM Farhan Ishtiaque directed the investigation officer, Md Azizul Haque, an additional superintendent of police at the Police Bureau of Investigation, to submit the probe report by March 2, 2025.
This marked the 116th deadline extension for the submission of the report, but the case remains unsolved.
In September 2024, the High Court expressed concern over RAB鈥檚 failure to resolve the case after 12 years.
The court subsequently ordered the home ministry to transfer the investigation to a high-powered task force comprising experienced officers from various agencies.
The task force is expected to complete the investigation and submit a report to the court within six months, with further hearings set for April 6, 2025.
The investigation has led to several arrests over the years, including that of Tanvir, a friend of the couple, on October 1, 2012.
In total, eight people had been arrested in connection with the murders. They included Rafiqul Islam, Bakul Mia, Abu Syed, Mintu (also known as Baggira Mintu or Masum Mintu), Quamrul Hasan (alias Arun), security guard Enam Ahmed (alias Humayun Kabir) and Palash Rudra Pal. The suspect later got bail in the case.
