Sagar-Runi case: Date postponed for the 121st time, criticism during Sheikh Hasina’s time but silence now

❐ Staff Reporter

The court has postponed the date for submitting the investigation report in the murder case of journalist couple Sagar Sarwar and Meherun Runi for 121 times and set November 30 as the next date.

There was strong criticism against the Awami League government over this case. The opposition parties alleged that the investigation report of the case could not be submitted due to pressure from Sheikh Hasina’s administration. But after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government, despite the repeated postponement of the deadline for submitting the investigation report, there is no criticism now. The cries of human rights activists are not heard either.

Although the investigation report of the case was scheduled for Sunday, September 14, the investigating agency, the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), was unable to submit the report on that day. Therefore, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Minhazur Rahman set a new date for the report.

This information was obtained from the general registration branch of the court’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station.

On February 11, 2012, Sagar Sarwar, news editor of Maasranga Television, and Meherun Runi, senior correspondent of ATN Bangla, were murdered. After that, the brother of the deceased Runi, Nowsher Alam Roman, filed a murder case with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station.

Initially, the investigating officer of the case was a sub-inspector (SI) of the police station. Four days later, the investigation of this sensational murder case was handed over to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DB). After investigating for more than two months, the DB failed to solve the mystery.

Later, on the orders of the High Court, the investigation of the murder case was handed over to RAB on April 18 of the same year.

After conducting a 12-year investigation, RAB was removed from the investigation of the case on September 30 last year by the High Court. The High Court ordered the formation of a high-powered task force under the Home Ministry to investigate the Sagar-Runi murder case.

The Yunus government later formed this four-member task force on October 23 as per the directions of the High Court. The PBI chief has been made its convener.

The accused in the case include Rafiqul Islam, Bakul Mia, Masum Mintu, Kamrul Islam alias Arun, Abu Sayeed, and Palash Rudra Pal and Enayet Ahmed, security guards at Sagar-Runi’s house. There is also their acquaintance Tanvir Rahman Khan. Of these, Tanvir and Palash are out on bail, while the rest are in jail.

The investigation into the case has not been completed and the date for submitting the report has been repeatedly postponed, raising questions about the resolution of the murder case. The families and colleagues of the victims have demanded that the investigation, including the autopsy, be completed quickly.

Both family members expressed dissatisfaction over the repeated postponement of the date. The previous government had ‘Gardimsi’ but why is it being postponed like this again and again now? Where is the obstacle now? The family members expressed their anger, demanding justice.