NO TANGIBLE progress in the murder case of journalist couple Sagar Sarwar and Meherun Runi, found dead in their rented flat at Pashchim Rajabazar in the capital on February 11, 2012, is worrying given that the government task force has sought more time to complete the investigation. In September 2024, the High Court, considering the failure of the Rapid Action Battalion in investigating the case, directed the government to form the high-powered task force composed of experienced personnel of various agencies. In October 2024, complying with the court directive, the home ministry formed the task force to investigate the case and the task force was expected to submit its report by March 31. When seeking further time to complete the investigation on April 22, the task force did not give out any substantial details except for the fact that it has interrogated some senior law enforcement personnel and a journalist. A further delay in this case is disappointing, considering that the victim family and journalist community have already been waiting for more than 12 years for justice.
The way the task force justifies its failure to complete the investigation by the deadline is even more disappointing because it relies on the same rhetoric to explain the issue that was used during the deposed Awami League regime. The investigation changed hands three times since the murders. The Detective Branch stepped in after the police had worked for a couple of days, the Rapid Action Battalion took over in April 2012 and then the high-powered task force has investigated the case. A member of the task force told the High Court that they would need more time as some of important case documents were missing and they have sent some evidence for testing to the United States whereas in August 2017, the battalion said that it had received DNA test reports from the United States and was trying to identify two people based on the reports. Instead of providing the media and the victims鈥� families with a concrete update on the investigation, the reliance on the rhetoric of the past regime, accused of intentionally delaying the investigation and abusing the legal system to protect the suspects possibly linked with the then ruling quarters, created grounds for the public to be concerned. All the authorities concerned should recognise that a continued delay would frustrate the possibility of restoring public confidence in the legal system.
The interim government should, therefore, remain true to its words and expand the scope of the investigation to identify the people who allegedly interfered and delayed the legal and judicial process and expeditiously establish justice for the journalist couple and other unresolved cases.