6 YEARS OF SAGAR-RUNI MURDER Sluggish investigation irk family, journalists

The family and colleagues are observing the sixth anniversary of murders of journalist couple Sagar Sarwar and Meherun Runi today, with no substantial progress into the investigation of their murder in 2011.
Sagar, a news editor of Maasranga Television, and Runi, a senior reporter of ATN Bangladesh, were brutally killed in their bedroom in the capital’s Rajarbagh area in 2011.
The then-home minister Sahara Khatun promised to bring the assailants to book within 48 hours. But the investigators neither identified the killers nor revealed the motive behind the murders till date.
The submission deadline for probe report was extended 54 times, according to official sources in Dhaka court.
A metropolitan court in Dhaka on February 1 again set March 13 to submit the investigation report, they said. 
The murder case was initially investigated by Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police, followed by Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police. Later the case was shifted to Rapid Action Battalion on April 18, 2012, by a High Court order, as the DB had expressed its inability to resolve the case.
The family of the victims expressed deep shock that the probe into the murders have become sluggish.
Runi’s brother Nowsher Alam Roman, who filed the murder case with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station, asked if there was any investigation going on now.
‘They (investigators) contact us only when the death anniversary nears,’ he said.
‘I do not know if the law enforcement agencies are really willing to ensure justice,’ he said.
When asked about the slow pace of the investigation, RAB director Mufti Mahmud Khan said, ‘We are sincerely investigating the case’.
Officials said eight people - Tanveer Rahman, 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 made accused in the case.
Though all the accused were placed on remand more than once, none of them gave confessional statement regarding the incident.
Among them, Tanveer was released on bail later but the others are still in jail.
Journalist colleagues also expressed dissatisfaction over the sluggish progress into the probe of the murders.
Dhaka Reporters’ Unity announced that a protest rally on the issue would be held at its premises today.
 

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net