Sagar-Runi Murder Case: Court Show-causes Investigation Officer as Report Fails for 124th Time

Metropolitan Magistrate Arifur Rahman passed the order on Monday after the IO failed to meet the latest deadline. The court expressed strong dissatisfaction and directed the official to appear in person to explain the continuous delay. This marks the 124th extension of the deadline for a case that has remained unresolved for 14 years.

Sagar Sarowar, a news editor at Maasranga Television, and his wife Meherun Runi, a senior reporter at ATN Bangla, were brutally murdered in their rented apartment in West Rajabazar on February 11, 2012. Despite investigations by the Detective Branch (DB) and a prolonged tenure by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), no breakthrough was achieved. Following a High Court order on September 30, 2025, a high-powered task force led by the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) was formed to take over the case, with a mandate to complete the probe within six months.

The court has now set April 1, 2026, as the new date for the submission of the report. To date, eight suspects have been arrested in connection with the double murder, including family friend Tanvir Rahman and several security guards, most of whom are currently out on bail or in custody. The persistent failure of multiple specialized agencies to identify the killers continues to draw heavy criticism from the journalist community and human rights organizations.