The widely discussed rape and murder case of Sohagi Jahan Tonu in Cumilla has languished in a decade-long farce. From autopsy to evidence collection and forensic analysis, every stage was marred by ambiguity, delays and irregularities.
Because the crime scene lay inside Cumilla Cantonment, suspicion from the outset fell on military personnel—fueling public doubt over a fair probe. Years of institutional dithering only deepened that mistrust.
Initially handled by police, DB and CID, the case was handed to the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) in 2020. Yet the specialised unit also failed to make headway.
A breakthrough came only with the detention of former army Senior Warrant Officer Hafizur Rahman—raising fresh questions over why it took six years. His arrest from Keraniganj marks the first in the case, while two other suspects remain at large.
Tonu went missing on 20 March 2016 after leaving for private tutoring in the cantonment. Her body was later recovered nearby, with initial findings indicating rape followed by murder.
A second-year history student at Cumilla Victoria College, Tonu was the youngest of three siblings and active in cultural activities. Her father, a civilian employee of the cantonment board, lived with the family in staff quarters.
The killing sparked nationwide outrage and student protests demanding justice. But alleged pressure from the then Awami League government and sections of the military stalled the investigation.
Probe takes new turn
PBI Inspector Md Tarikul Islam, the investigating officer, told Times of Bangladesh that he was summoned by the court on April 6.
Appearing before the court, he was instructed to provide a written explanation of the investigation. He then sought permission to cross-match DNA samples of suspects Sergeant Zahid, Warrant Officer Hafizur Rahman, and soldier Shahinul Alam.
The court approved the request and ordered DNA testing of the three suspects against the collected evidence.
The investigating officer then launched operations to detain the suspects.
“After detaining Hafizur Rahman on Tuesday night, his sample was collected and sent to CID for testing on Wednesday. Efforts are ongoing to detain the other two suspects, who are no longer at their previous addresses,” he said.
Years of shifting probes
After Tonu’s mysterious murder, Sub-Inspector Md Saiful Islam of Cumilla Kotwali Model Police Station and later DB Inspector AKM Monjur Alam conducted the investigation but failed to solve the case.
Later, CID Cumilla Inspector Gazi Mohammad Ibrahim and subsequently Assistant Superintendent of Police Jalal Uddin Ahmed of CID’s Noakhali and Feni region took over.
CID found DNA of three unidentified individuals on Tonu’s clothes, but it was never matched with any suspects, as none of them had been arrested. Tonu’s family had long complained about this in court.
Following a petition by the family, PBI headquarters in Dhaka took over the investigation in October 2020.
Controversy deepens
Repeated changes in investigators without progress, along with the failure to detain any suspect, sparked widespread criticism.
Moreover, errors in the first autopsy led to a second one. The court ordered the second autopsy upon the family’s request, raising questions about the initial examination.
Although CID had earlier found DNA evidence of three individuals, it was only on April 6 this month—after PBI’s application—that the court ordered DNA tests of three retired military suspects (Sergeant Zahid, Warrant Officer Hafizur Rahman, and soldier Jahangir) to match with the existing evidence. Following Hafizur’s arrest, his DNA sample has been sent to CID.
Court sources said around 80 hearing dates have been set in the case so far.
Parents seek death penalty
After a decade, Tonu’s mother, Anowara Begum, now sees a glimmer of hope. “After 11 years, one accused has been caught. I want justice. The way my daughter was killed, I want the same punishment,” she said.
Her father, Yar Hossain, said years of assurances yielded nothing. “After 11 years, I finally saw an accused in the dock. Police sought seven days’ remand; the court granted three.”
Beyond the stalled probe, the family has endured years of threats and intimidation, living in constant fear.
