The High Court on Thursday granted the Police Bureau of Investigation a final six-month time to complete the long-dragging investigation into the murder of journalist couple Sagor Sarwar and Meherun Runi.
But the families of the victims expressed concerns that the probe could be 鈥榗overed up鈥� after the change of government.
Journalists Sagor Sarwar, news editor at Maasranga Television, and Meherun Runi, senior reporter at the ATN Bangla TV channel, were murdered in their rented flat in Dhaka鈥檚 West Rajabazar on February 11, 2012.
The High Court granted the time and directed the PBI chief-led four-member taskforce to appear in person before the court on April 23, 2026 with the final report.
A bench of Justice Fatema Najib and Justice Fatema Anwar passed the order after hearing the submissions from the government and from the lawyers for the victims.
The court observed that the case had become a matter of public concern as it had now become nearly 13 years old.
The investigation officer of the case could not determine the progress of the probe achieved over the past one year when the High Court asked him to state how much of the investigation had been completed.
The investigation officer is Azizul Haque, an additional superintendent of police posted at the Police Bureau of Investigation.
The investigation officer told the HC bench that the investigation had 鈥榓dvanced significantly鈥� but when the bench asked him how much the progress was, he could not specify in terms of percentage.
The court observed that the investigation should not require another six months if it had indeed advanced significantly.
When asked whether the probe could be completed within the next six months, Azizul Haque assured the court saying, 鈥業nshallah.鈥�
Lawyer Mohammad Shishir Manir, representing the victim families, opposed the government prayer for further time extension.
He urged the court to pass an order asking the PBI-led taskforce to appear before it to disclose the case progress as it had missed the earlier six-month deadline to complete the probe.
Lawyer Manzill Murshid, another lawyer for the victim families, echoed Shishir Manir鈥檚 argument.聽聽
He argued that repeated delays had frustrated justice.
He remarked that the investigation might lose momentum after the February 2026 national elections, as a new government would come to power.
鈥業t is the perfect time to complete the probe under the current interim government,鈥� Shishir told the court.
鈥業f [the case is] delayed again, there will be no hope for justice,鈥� he said.
Additional attorney general Arshadur Rauf, appearing for the government, produced an unofficial progress document.
He said that he would submit it formally through an affidavit via the Registrar General of the Supreme Court.
鈥業t is an old case, but work is going on,鈥� he told the bench.
He further said that investigators were collecting information from multiple sources and were recording statements, including from those who had gone abroad.
Rauf urged the court to allow six months instead of three, saying that frequent time extensions were undesirable.
He argued that the attorney general鈥檚 office was closely monitoring the investigation, adding that the investigation would continue regardless of the change of government.
He represented the four-member taskforce formed on October 23, 2024 following a HC directive issued on September 30.
The High Court had asked the government to form a high-powered team to probe the case and submit a report by April 6, 2025.
The taskforce includes representatives from the Police Headquarters, Rapid Action Battalion, Criminal Investigation Department, and PBI, led by the PBI chief.
Shishir Manir, however, reminded the court that despite similar assurances over the past 12 years, no meaningful progress had been achieved.
He observed that granting another six months would only deepen the public frustration.