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Published : 06 Apr 2026, 06:41 PM
A decade after the murder of Cumilla Victoria Government College student and theatre activist Sohagi Jahan Tonu, the court has ordered DNA profiling of three suspects in the case.
On Monday, Judge Md Muminul Haque of Cumilla Chief Judicial Magistrate Court issued the directive, the investigation officer of the case, PBI Dhaka Inspector Md Tariqul Islam, confirmed.
The names of the three suspects were not disclosed.
The court ordered an update on the progress of the investigation, prompting the PBI officer to appear and request DNA testing.
“Earlier, DNA profiles were prepared from some of Tonu’s clothing linked to three individuals, but cross-matching was never done. [On Monday] the court directed DNA tests for the suspects,” the officer said.
The court has also asked the investigators to report progress at the next hearing.
Tonu’s father and complainant, Iyar Hossain, was present in court during the order.
He said, “Former BNP leader Tarique Rahman in London had promised justice for Tonu’s killing. I now want to meet the prime minister to demand justice. I carry my daughter’s photo everywhere.”
On the evening of Mar 20, 2016, Tonu’s body was found in a forest near Cumilla Cantonment’s power house. The next day, her father filed a murder case with Cumilla Kotwali Model Police Station against unknown individuals.
The case was investigated for years by police, the Detective Branch (DB), and later the CID, without resolving the mystery.
On Oct 21, 2020, under police headquarters’ instruction, the case file was transferred to the PBI Headquarters in Dhaka.
Inspector Md Mojibur Rahman investigated the case for nearly four years, and in September 2024, Inspector Md Tariqul Islam became the sixth officer to lead the investigation.
