A Dhaka court has once again deferred the submission of the investigation report in the high-profile murder case of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi. This marks the 119th time the deadline has been extended. On Tuesday (July 8), Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Minhajur Rahman scheduled the next report submission date for August 11.
The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), the agency currently in charge of the probe, failed to submit the report on the scheduled date. Consequently, the court granted additional time.
The murder occurred on February 11, 2012, when Sagar and Runi were brutally killed in their rented apartment in West Rajabazar, Dhaka, while their four-and-a-half-year-old son, Mahir Sarowar Megh, was present at home. At the time, Sagar worked for private TV channel Maasranga, and Runi was a journalist at ATN Bangla.
Runi’s brother Nowshad Alam initially filed a murder case at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station. The case was first investigated by the local police, and then transferred to the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP). On 18 April 18, 2012 after 62 days into their investigation, the DB admitted its failure before the High Court, after which the case was handed over to the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).
RAB continued the investigation for over 12 years, but on September 30 last year, the High Court relieved the agency of this responsibility. The court ordered that a high-powered task force be formed under the Home Ministry to carry out the investigation going forward. The directive was issued by a bench comprising Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Md Mahbub Ul Islam, following a petition by the state seeking to amend an earlier order on the case.
On 23 October 2024, the government formed a four member task force as instructed, with the chief of the Police Bureau of Investigation acting as the convenor.
The accused in the case are Rafiqul Islam, Bokul Mia, Masum Mintoo, Kamrul Islam alias Arun, Abu Sayeed, two security guards of the couple’s residence Palash Rudra Paul, Enayet Ahmed and their friend Tanvir Rahman Khan. Among them, Tanvir and Palash are currently out on bail, while the others remain in custody.
