The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) has been granted permission by a Dhaka court to interrogate two former senior officials of Bangladesh's law enforcement agencies in connection with the murders of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Nahar Runi.
On 8 January 2025, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Imran Hossain approved the PBI’s request to question Major General (retd) Ziaul Ahsan and former Deputy Commissioner (DC) of the Detective Branch's Lalbagh Zone, Moshiur Rahman. The PBI had sought their interrogation, stating that they could provide crucial information related to the investigation.
"PBI has information that Ziaul and Moshiur were involved in the initial stage of the probe in the case. Ziaul Ahsan was the additional director general (operation) of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Moshiur was DC DB at the time," court sources said quoting the IO's plea.
IO ASP Azizul Haque however, refused to comment on the latest development in the case, saying PBI is continuing its probe with much importance.
The brutal murders of Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Nahar Runi took place on 11 February 2012, at their rented flat in the west Rajabazar area of Dhaka, in the presence of their young son, Mahir Sarwar Megh. The murder was reported by Runi’s brother, Nawser Alam, who filed a case with the Sher-e-Banglanagar Police Station.
The investigation was initially handled by the Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, before being transferred to RAB. However, the investigation has faced numerous delays, with RAB requesting extensions 111 times over the last 12 years, and failing to submit a report to the court.
In response to these delays, the High Court ordered on 30 September 2024, the formation of a high-level task force to oversee the case, removing RAB from the investigation.
The government on 23 October 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 convener of the taskforce 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 (DIG) of police headquarters, one representative of the criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the same rank, and one representative of the rank of RAB director.
The High Court on 16 October 2024, released the full text of its 30 September order that had directed to shift the authority of probing the journalist couple Sagar Sarwar and Meherun Nahar Runi murder case from RAB to a high-powered task force to be formed by the home ministry.
The HC in its order said, "The delay in the Sagar-Runi murder case trial is a matter of regret not only for the family members (of the Sagar-Runi), but also for every citizen of the country. Hope, justice will be ensured this time. The six-month time given for the probe means six months," the court said.
Supreme Court lawyer Manzil Murshid had moved the plea in this regard before the court. At the same time, Additional Attorney Generals Arshadur Rauf and Aneek Rushd Haque and Deputy Attorney General Redwan Ahmed argued for the state. Advocate Mohammad Shishir Manir stood for the plaintiff.
