(BSS) - The High Court (HC) today ordered a high-poweredtaskforce to complete its investigation into the murder of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi and submit its report on April 29, 2027.

The court also directed the taskforce head and International Crimes Tribunal(ICT) Prosecutor Tanvir Hasan Zoha to appear before it on that day with all relevant documents.

A High Court division bench comprising Justice Sikder Mahmudur Razi and Justice Fatema Anwar passed the order this noon.

Attorney General Barrister Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal represented the state during the hearing, while Advocate Mohammad Shishir Manir appeared for the victim`s family.

Talking to newsmen after the hearing, the attorney general said the state had presented a 27-page progress report submitted by the taskforce before the court.

He said the police officials involved in the investigation in 2012 could not be traced, making it difficult to verify what evidence had been collected at the time.

Barrister Kazal said the present government did not want to protect anyone or conceal information. The aim was to uncover the actual facts and identify those responsible through a fair investigation, he added.

The taskforce progress report said previous investigation officers had recorded statements of 167 witnesses during the investigation, while 90 witnesses were questioned during the tenure of the current investigation officer. Of them, statements of 24 witnesses were recorded.

The report said no evidence was found to suggest that one spouse had killed the other and then committed suicide over family or marital disputes. Scientific examinations indicated that both Sagar and Runi had been murdered.

However, no evidence was found to establish that the killings were motivated by their profession.

The report said discussions with senior officials and colleagues at Sagar`s workplace, Maasranga Television, revealed no professional enmity or dispute involving him.

It also said no link between the killings and Summit Group was found. Investigators also found no evidence that the murders stemmed from disputes over money or land. No information was found about any loans or business transactions involving the couple.

According to the report, previous investigation officers conducted extensive covert and overt inquiries into 145 arrested suspects in 130 theft and robbery cases filed with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Tejgaon, Mohammadpur, Dhanmondi and Kalabagan police stations.

During the tenure of the current investigation officer, the names and addresses of 42 suspects were checked and verified through the Police Clearance and Police Record (PCPR) system. Assistance was sought from various intelligence agencies, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) and other government agencies. The movements, activities and backgrounds of several suspects were closely scrutinised.

However, the motive behind the killings and the identities of those involved have yet to be established, the report said.

The report further said the taskforce, comprising members from the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Police Headquarters and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), had yet to recover the mobile phone and two laptops looted during the killings.

It said investigators had been unable to question former Inspector General of Police Hasan Mahmud Khandker, former Dhaka Metropolitan Police Detective Branch spokesperson Monirul Islam, former RAB Director General Mukhlesur Rahman and former Home Minister Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir.

Journalist Rumi Noman was questioned and his statement recorded, while efforts to question several others were continuing. Questioning the aforementioned individuals might yield important information or leads in the case, the report added.

The report also said that, during discussions with International Crimes Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam and Prosecutor Tanvir Hasan Zoha, they had stated that their preliminary investigation had found possible links between former army officer Ziaul Ahsan and media personality Rokeya Prachy and the killings of Sagar and Runi.

They were examining the possible links through further investigation and verification, and would hand over the findings to the PBI investigation officer once their preliminary inquiry was completed, the report said.

The journalist couple was murdered at their rented apartment in West Rajabazar in the capital on February 11, 2012, in the presence of their four-year-old son Mahir Sarwar Megh. Following the incident, Runi`s brother Nawser Alam filed a case with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station.

At the initial stage, the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police was assigned to investigate the case, which was later transferred to the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).

However, the elite force failed to submit the investigation report despite seeking repeated extensions over the years.

On September 30, 2024, the High Court directed the formation of a high-powered taskforce under the Ministry of Home Affairs to investigate the case, removing RAB from the probe.

Subsequently, on October 23, 2024, the government formed a four-member taskforce through a Home Ministry notification to investigate the double murder and submit its findings within six months.