Sagar-Runi murder: Probe report submission deferred for 111th time

A Dhaka court on Monday set October 15 as the new deadline for the submission of the probe report in the murder case of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi.

With this, the deadline for submission of the probe report in the case was deferred for the 111th time.

Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Mahbubul Haque passed the order after the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) failed to submit the report.

Sagar, the news editor at the private TV channel Maasranga, and his wife, Runi, a senior reporter at ATN Bangla, were killed on February 11, 2012, in their rented flat in the West Razabazar area of the capital. Their only son, Mahir Sarowar Megh, who was 5 at the time, was present in the home.

The following day, Nousher Ali Roman, Runi’s brother, filed a case at Sher-e-Bangla police station in connection with the murders.  

A sub-inspector of the police station initially investigated the sensational murder case. Four days after he took charge, the case was transferred to the Detective Branch (DB) of the police.  

On April 18, 2012, the High Court ordered the case to be transferred to the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) for further investigation, as the DB had expressed its inability to resolve the case. 

At least eight people have been arrested in connection with the case, including Rafiqul Islam, Bakul Miah, Masum Mintu, Kamrul Hasan alias Arun, Abu Sayeed, and two security guards from the couple’s house, Palash Rudra Paul and Enamul Hoque. The couple’s 'family friend,' Tanveer Rahman, was also arrested but was later released on bail.