A high-powered taskforce formed by the Ministry of Home Affairs to probe sensational murder of journalist couple Sagar Sarwar and Meherun Runi will interrogate former chief reporter and anchor of Ekattor TV Farzana Rupa in the case.
The investigation officer (IO) and PBI additional superintendant of police Azizul Hauqe in his plea in this regard said there is a possibility of getting valuable information by interrogating Rupa.
The court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate MA Azharul Islam last week accepted a prosecution plea in this regard, allowing the taskforce to interrogate Farzana Rupa in this case.
"Farzana Rupa at the time used to work in ATN Bangla with victim Meherun Runi. They were very close to each other and were family friends. Rupa also made some reports on television over the murder. There is a high chance of getting valuable information by interrogating Farzana Rupa," the IO told BSS today.
The journalist couple was brutally murdered on their rented flat in the city's West Rajabazar on February 11, 2012, in the presence of their (then) four-year-old son Mahir Sarwar Megh.
Runi's brother Nawser Alam filed a murder case with Sher-e-Banglanagar Police Station.
At that time, the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) was entrusted with the charge of the investigation into the murder case which was later transferred to the RAB. The elite crime-busting agency has failed to submit the investigation report in court after taking time 111 times in the last 12 years.
On September 30, 2024, the High Court ordered the formation of a high-power task force through the Ministry of Home Affairs to probe the case, removing RAB from the charge.
The government on October 23, 2024, formed a four-member task force to investigate the double murder. The task force was formed through a notification from the Ministry of Home Affairs. The notification asked the task force to submit its probe findings in six months.
The PBI was named the taskforce convener though the notice did not reveal the names of the other members.
The task force also includes one representative not below the rank of additional deputy inspector general, or DIG, of Police Headquarters, one representative of the Criminal Investigation Department, or CID, of the same rank and one representative of the rank of RAB director.
Bd-Pratidin English/ARK
