C T Online Desk : Relatives, rights activists, and fellow journalists cast serious doubt on the sincerity of the Rapid Action Battalion after the force failed to complete the investigation into the murder of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi in 11 years.
They demanded the investigation agency solve the case quickly or admit its failure, enabling the court to hand over the investigation charge to other agencies.
The 11-year-long investigation into the sensational double murder yielded nothing, as investigators claimed that they were still in the dark about motives while DNA and other medical examinations came up inconclusive.
RAB media wing director Khandaker Al-Moin told reporters in November that it could not promise any specific time to complete the investigation into the murders of the journalist couple.
Sagar, the news editor of private television channel Maasranga and his wife, Runi, a reporter of ATN Bangla, were stabbed to death in their rented apartment in the West Raja Bazar area of Dhaka in front of their minor son on February 11, 2012.
On January 4, the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Court extended till March 5 the deadline for submitting the probe report of the case, making it the 95th extension of the deadline for the probe report submission.
Following the murder, at least eight suspects—Sagar-Runi’s family friends Tanvir Ahmed, Enam Ahmed alias Humayun Kabir, Rafiqul Islam, Bakul Mia, Mitu alias Bargira Mintu alias Masum Mintu, Kamrul Hasan Arun, Palash Rudra Paul and Abu Sayeed — were arrested and quizzed for many days.
Tanvir and Palash were later granted bail, but six others have been held for years, according to RAB’s investigation source.
Runi’s brother, Nowsher Alam Roman, the plaintiff in the case filed over the double murders with the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police station in Dhaka, raised doubts about RAB’s willingness to solve the case.
‘I really doubt their sincerity in ensuring justice. There might be an instruction from top government bodies not to crack the mystery of the murder. I don’t know why,’ said Nowsher.
He said that they were gradually losing hope of getting justice but would continue to fight.
‘Investigation officers often contact me and express their sympathy about the murders, but they cannot come up with any answers when I inquire about the update of the investigation,’ Nowsher said.
After the murder of the journalist couple, the then-home minister, Sahara Khatun, publicly promised to bring the assailants to justice within 48 hours. Sahara was in office for another seven months.
Police regulars and the Detective Branch were first involved in the investigation, and RAB was given the charge on April 18, 2012. In the past 11 years, the battalion has changed six investigation officers without making any significant progress in the investigation.
RAB’s additional police superintendent, Khandaker Shafiqul Alam, was made the seventh investigator in the case on July 4, 2019, but he also kept submitting his reports seeking further time, and could not come up with anything concrete in his reports.
Mizanur Rahman, a former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, said that people were losing their confidence in the investigation and judiciary as such a long delay and stagnant probe into a sensational murder case would raise more doubts about the criminal justice system of the country.
The rights activist said that RAB had made the investigation a farce by repeatedly asking for time in court. The court has allowed this without any serious questions, he said.
Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan told reporters on Thursday that the government was also waiting for the investigation to be finished.
‘It has been many years since the murder. We also want to reveal the mystery of the murders. We want to know why the murders of two promising journalists took place. I would instruct the RAB DG [director general] to inform us about their investigation quickly,’ he said.
According to RAB official Moin, they have yet to collect any concrete evidence or establish motives for the murders.
A RAB investigator said that buccal swabs and other DNA samples of 25 people were sent to the Independent Forensic Service (IFS), USA, but the test results there failed to come up with any concrete proof.
Nowsher suspects that DNA sample tests are simply eyewash and an opportunity to buy time.
Asked about the family’s allegation of a lack of will, RAB officer Moin said that they conduct their investigations with expertise, professionalism, and dedication.
He said that they regularly file updates on the investigation with the court. If the court does not find their reports satisfactory, it’s the court’s decision as to whom they would assign as an investigation agency.
Earlier on November 14, 2019, a High Court bench comprising Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman expressed their dismay at RAB’s failure to make any progress in the investigation into the case.
For years, Dhaka Reporters’ Unity has been campaigning for justice in the murder of a journalist couple.
DRU president Mursalin Nomani said that they had spoken with all relevant authorities but with no positive outcome.
Mursalin urged the court to take a more proactive role in ensuring justice for the murders.
‘If RAB fails to deliver a proper and quick investigation, the court can assign other agencies,’ he said.
Runi’s mother, Nur Nahar Mirza, passed away on January 5 without seeing justice served for her daughter and son-in-law’s murder.
The journalist couple’s son, Mahir Sarowar Megh, who was in his room when his parents were killed, has now turned 16 and has started to inquire about the murder of his parents, said his uncle Nowsher.
Megh, who would appear in the O-level exam, has engaged himself in sports, jersey design, and some other activities.
Nowsher said that the journalist community had also failed to pursue the demand for justice over the murders boldly and in a united way.
Professor Mizan expressed his fear that the country might never know who were behind the murders and why, as it seemed that a certain quarter of the state had decided not to dig into the issue.
