PM sought Tonu murder case update on Eid, referring to a Prothom Alo report: law minister
Minister for Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs Md Asaduzzaman, has remarked that the deadlock in the Sohagi Jahan Tonu murder case has begun to clear after ten years, at the initiative of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
The law minister revealed that on the morning of the last Eid, the prime minister sent a report from Prothom Alo to his mobile phone, enquiring about the progress of the Tonu murder investigation.
The Law Minister made these remarks as the chief guest at an event held today, Saturday, at the BRAC Centre in Mohakhali, Dhaka, to disseminate research findings.
The findings of a study, titled ‘Procedural obstacles of the women and children repression prevention tribunals and identifying effective ways to resolve them’, a joint initiative by the Supreme Court of Bangladesh and BRAC, was presented there.
During the event, a participant urged the law minister to ensure justice for Tonu. In response, the law minister shared that the prime minister had sent him a text message on the morning of the Eid, referencing a Prothom Alo report and asking for the latest information on the case.
“On the very first working day after the Eid holidays, I met with the prime minister and discussed the detailed updates of the case,” the law minister said.
Regarding the progress of the investigation, Md Asaduzzaman added, “After ten long years, the deadlock in this case is starting to clear out. One suspect has already been arrested as well.”
Following the event, a journalist questioned the law minister further on the case’s progress. In reply, he said, “Under the Prime Minister’s direction, we have taken initiatives to complete many tasks in the last two months that were not possible over the past decade.”
”However, the matter has not yet been categorised as a specific issue under the law ministry’s direct jurisdiction; it currently remains under the purview of the ministry of home affairs,” he said.
He further added, “Regarding the other two individuals, we will properly express our goodwill and position in light of the legal instructions and interpretations provided by the law.”
On the evening of 20 March 2016, Tonu went missing while returning home after giving private tuition at a house inside the Cumilla Cantonment. Her body was later discovered in a thicket near the cantonment’s power house.
The following day, Tonu’s father, Yaar Hossain—then an office assistant at the Cantonment Board (now retired)—filed a murder case with the Cumilla Kotwali Model Police Station against unidentified suspects.