From 48 hours to '50 years': The never-ending Sagar-Runi murder mystery

From assurance of justice within 48 hours by then-home minister to daunting possibility of a 50-year investigation period mentioned by incumbent law minister, the murder case of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi continues to be an unresolved mystery even after 12 years.

Initially, after the shocking murders of the journalist couple in their Dhaka apartment on 11 February 2012, Sahara Khatun, the home minister at the time, committed to apprehending the perpetrators within 48 hours.

The investigation agencies said they were "giving utmost importance to the investigation". 

The saga, however, remains unresolved. Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), the agency currently in charge of the case, has sought over 105 extensions to submit its findings to the court. 

Before, two different agencies had each asked for extensions twice. 

Altogether, the submission date has been delayed 107 times.

Meanwhile, Law Minister Anisul Huq said on 1 February the investigation could take up to 50 years if necessary, only he later clarified that this statement was figurative and not literal. 

"I meant that if it takes time to identify the real culprits, we have to give the time. Identifying those who are truly guilty can take a substantial amount of time," Anisul Huq said.

Nowsher Alam Roman, the brother of Meherun Runi and the person who filed the case shared his disappointment with The Business Standard today, saying the recent remarks by the minister didn't surprise him at all. 

"We've been hearing such remarks from officials right from the start. The recent comments by the law minister are just more of the same."

Roman further expressed his disillusionment with the government's approach to seeking justice for his sister and brother-in-law. 

"You'd expect such delays and excuses from the investigative team, but hearing them from a minister is disheartening. It makes us wonder if there's a deeper reason behind the lack of progress [possibly indicating the involvement of powerful individuals]," he added.

"The investigation authorities do not appear to be serious about finding out the mystery behind the murder and that is why no progress has so far been made," he added.

The law minister, however, said, "No matter how long it takes, the real offenders will be apprehended."

"The investigation is taking time because the law enforcers have yet to apprehend the actual suspect. The legal framework mandates that only those who are truly guilty can be arrested."

Sagar's mother Saleha Monir said Bangla daily Samakal, "The law minister said it would take 50 years. How could he say such a thing? And if it takes that long, I may not even be on earth to see the end of it. If the government was sincere, the investigation would have been completed a long time ago."

"Those 48 hours have turned into a long wait of 12 years," she said.

"I had sworn that I would not visit their graves until the real killers of Sagar and Runi were caught. But it seems I may not be able to keep that promise," she added.

Meanwhile, Runi's mother Nur Nahar Mirza died two years back without seeing justice for her daughter and son-in-law.

In the early hours of 11 February 2012, Sagar Sarwar, then news editor of Maasranga Television, and Meherun Runi, senior reporter of ATN Bangla, were murdered in their rented apartment in the capital's West Rajabazar area. 

The couple's four-and-a-half-year-old son Mahir Sarwar Megh was home at the time of the murder. 

Now 17, Megh continues to seek answers about the circumstances surrounding his parents' untoward deaths, said his uncle.

So far, the case has seen seven investigation officers and yet, the murderers and their motives remain shrouded in mystery. 

Meanwhile, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) said, they are trying to unearth the motive behind the murder of the journalist couple and bring those involved in the murder to book with utmost importance.

The RAB disclosed that samples from 25 individuals suspected of involvement were sent to the United States for DNA testing and further analysis. 

However, the results from the US indicated that two individuals not among the original 25 suspects were implicated in the case. 

"RAB is investigating the murder case taking in mind that the innocent person should not be harassed," said RAB's Legal and Media Wing Director Khandaker Al Moin while briefing reporters on 7 August last year.

A day after the murder on 12 February 2012, Nousher Ali Roman, brother of Runi, filed a case with Sher-e-Banglanagar Police Station on the following day.

A sub-inspector at the local police station took up the investigation.

However, on 16 February, the case was handed over to the Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police. 

After two months of their inability to solve the case to the High Court, the court assigned the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) to take over the investigation on 18 April 2012. 

Since then, RAB has been working on the case. Khandaker Md Shafiqul Alam, the seventh officer to lead the investigation, was appointed on 4 July 2019.

During the investigation, the bodies of Sagar and Runi were exhumed for a detailed autopsy. 

The court hearing for the submission of the probe report is now scheduled for 27 February.