The family of journalist couple Sagar Sarwar and Meherun Runi has filed a written complaint with the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), seeking a fresh investigation into their murders and justice for those responsible.
Runi’s brother, Nausher Alam Roman, submitted the complaint to the tribunal’s Chief Prosecutor on Sunday on behalf of the family.
In the application, the family described the killings as a “crime against humanity” and urged the tribunal to investigate the case afresh, identify those responsible and bring them to justice.
Sagar Sarwar, news editor of Maasranga Television, and Meherun Nahar, a senior correspondent of ATN Bangla, were brutally murdered at their rented apartment in Dhaka’s West Rajabazar between around 2am and 7am on 11 February 2012.
The application said 14 years have passed since the murders, but the authorities and successive investigating agencies have failed to uncover the mystery surrounding the killings.
Investigations by police, the Detective Branch and the Rapid Action Battalion failed to make headway, it said.
Following a High Court directive, a task force was later formed to investigate the case, with the Police Bureau of Investigation leading the probe.
However, nearly two years after the task force was formed, there has been no significant progress in the investigation, the complainant alleged.
The application urged the tribunal to conduct a fair and thorough investigation, identify the actual perpetrators and those responsible for the killings, bring them to trial and ensure exemplary punishment.
“We, the family members, want the International Crimes Tribunal to conduct a fair and proper investigation, identify the actual killers and those responsible, bring them to justice and ensure exemplary punishment,” the application said.
It also sought registration of the complaint and appropriate legal action following a proper investigation into the killings as a crime against humanity.
