A Dhaka court on Tuesday set May 21 as the new deadline for filing the probe report in the long-pending murder case of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi, extending the deadline for the 117th time.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate MA Azharul Islam passed the order after allowing a time petition filed by the prosecution, as the investigation agency failed to submit the report on the scheduled date, reports BSS.
Sagar and Runi were brutally murdered in their rented flat in the capital’s West Rajabazar on February 11, 2012, in the presence of their then-four-year-old son, Mahir Sarowar Megh.
Runi’s brother, Nawser Alam, filed a murder case with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station the same day.
Initially, the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police was assigned to investigate the case. Later, the responsibility was handed over to the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).
However, over the span of 12 years, RAB failed to submit the investigation report, seeking time on 111 occasions.
On September 30, 2024, the High Court ordered the formation of a high-powered task force under the Ministry of Home Affairs to carry out a fresh investigation into the case, removing RAB from the charge.
Following the order, the government formed a four-member task force through a home ministry notification on October 23, 2024, assigning the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) as the convener. The notification directed the task force to submit its findings within six months.
Apart from the PBI, the task force includes a representative from the Police Headquarters, not below the rank of additional deputy inspector general (Addl DIG), a representative of the same rank from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and a RAB director-level representative.
The full text of the High Court’s September 30 directive was released on October 16, 2024, reaffirming the decision to transfer the probe from RAB to the newly formed task force.
Bd-pratidin English/FNC
