The submission of the investigation report in the murder case of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi has been deferred once again, marking the 124th delay in the case.
A Dhaka court has now fixed 1 April as the new date for submitting the report.
Monday was scheduled for filing the investigation report. However, the investigating officer, Additional Superintendent of Police Md Azizul Haque of the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), failed to submit it.
Metropolitan Magistrate Md Ariful Islam then set a new date for submission. Rafiqul Islam, sub-inspector of the prosecution division of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) confirmed the matter.
Sagar Sarowar, news editor of Maasranga Television, and Meherun Runi, senior reporter of ATN Bangla, were murdered at their residence on 11 February 2012. Following the incident, Runi’s brother, Nausher Alam Roman, filed a murder case with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station.
Initially, a sub-inspector of the police station investigated the case. Four days later, the investigation was handed over to the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police. After more than two months, DB failed to make any breakthrough. On 18 April of the same year, following a High Court order, the investigation was transferred to the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).
On 30 September last year, the High Court directed the formation of a high-powered taskforce comprising experienced investigators from different agencies and ordered that the investigation be completed within six months. The court also removed RAB from the investigation.
Following the directive, the Public Security Division of the Home Ministry issued a notification on 17 October last year forming a four-member high-level taskforce, with the PBI chief as its convener.
The accused in the case are Rafiqul Islam, Bakul Mia, Masum Mintu, Kamrul Islam alias Arun, Abu Sayeed, the couple’s two security guards Palash Rudra Pal and Enayet Ahmed, and their friend Tanvir Rahman Khan. Among them, Tanvir is on bail. Palash Rudra Pal went into hiding after securing bail. The other accused remain in jail.
