Investigation into the murder of journalist couple Sagar Sarwar and Meherun Runi is yet to be completed even though a decade has already gone by. Besides seeking time from the court, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), the agency investigating the murder, has revealed further information. The law enforcement agency said work is underway to prepare photos of two unknown persons at a DNA laboratory in the US.
Except this, there is no visible advancement in the investigation.
The bodies of journalist couple Sagar Sarwar and Meherun Runi were found at their rented house in Paschim Rajabazar in the capital city on 11 February 2012.
Sagar Sarwar was working at Maasranga TV and Meherun Runi at ATN Bangla. The couple’s four-year-old son Sarwar Megh was at home during the murder.
RAB submitted a report to the court 15 months ago. That said the force has sent samples found at the spot to a lab in the US. DNA tests revealed that there were two unknown males present there during the murder. Experts have been trying to prepare photographs of the two from the DNA samples, the RAB report added.
Speaking to Prothom Alo on Thursday, RAB additional director general KM Azad said, “Not all investigations can be completed speedily. There could be some complexities which take time to investigate. There are many incidents under investigation for long.”
He further said RAB has been investigating the journalist couple murder incident with utmost priority.
The home minister at the time, Sahara Khatun, had ordered the law enforcement to detain the murderers within 48 hours. However, today is the 10th year of the murder, but the investigation has been not completed as yet.
A total of 160 people have been quizzed in the murder case while eight were arrested. Among them, Rafiqul Islam, Bakul Mia, M Said, Mintu and Kamrul Hasan alias Arun were arrested as murder suspects. They were accused in different cases filed on charges of cutting though bars to enter homes for theft.
Among the others arrested are -- guards of the couples’ residence Enamul and Rudra Paul, and Runi’s friend Tanvir Rahman. Currently, Tanvir and Enamul are released on bail while the rest are in jail.
Runi had a few seconds discussion with Tanvir over mobile phone on the night before the murder of the journalist couple. Inspecting the call list, teams of Detective Branch (DB) of police and RAB quizzed him several times.
Speaking to Prothom Alo on Wednesday, Tanvir said, “Following the murder, DB quizzed me and another Tanvir. Later, they released us. That Tanvir left the country within a few days.”
“Both DB and RAB conducted forensic research on all of my digital devices but they could not found my involvement with the murder.’
Hasan Mahmud Khandaker, who was the Inspector General of Police that time, said significant advancement has been made in the investigation.
After two years of the murder, Mohiuddin Khan Alamagir was made the home minister in 2014. He announced a specific date to reveal the mystery of the murder. “The mystery of the murder will be revealed by 10 October,” he told newspersons.
Following the announcement of Mohiuddin Khan Alamagir, RAB shown Runi’s friend Tanvir Rahman and guard Palash Rudra Paul as arrested. This is how 10 years have gone by at the assurances of the authorities and the people involved with the investigation but the mystery is yet to be revealed.
The investigating agency sought time from the court for 85th times to produce the investigation report.
Runi’s brother Nawsher Alam filed a murder case with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police station. Besides the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police station, Dhaka city DB and RAB began shadow investigations into the murder. On the fourth day of filing the case it was handed over to the DB. Two months after that, the case was handed over to RAB on 18 April 2012 at an order of the High Court.
Nawsher Alam said, “The investigation agency does not have any commitment. We have asked for justice so many times, it is embarrassing. We do not seek justice anymore.”
* The report, originally published in the print and online editions of Prothom Alo, has been rewritten in English by Shameem Reza