Published : 05 Aug 2026, 04:24 AM
Updated : 08 Sep 2026, 09:30 AM
Retired army officer Hafizur Rahman, the only suspect arrested in connection with the alleged murder of Comilla Victoria Government College student Sohagi Jahan Tonu, has been released on bail.
Senior Jail Super Shah Alam Khan confirmed that Hafizur was freed from Cumilla Central Jail at 7:05pm on Tuesday following the completion of all formalities.
A High Court bench comprising Justice Zafar Ahmed and Justice Shathika Hossain had previously granted Hafizur bail on Sunday, he added.
After a span of 10 years, the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) arrested Hafizur in Dhaka’s Keraniganj on the night of Apr 22 this year.
The following day, he was produced before a Cumilla court, where the PBI sought a seven-day remand for questioning.
Senior Judicial Magistrate Mominul Huq subsequently granted a three-day remand.
The investigating officer said that Hafizur’s DNA samples were collected following his arrest and sent for testing. The report has since been submitted to the court.
Tonu’s body was recovered from a forest near the power house of Cumilla Cantonment on the evening of Mar 20, 2016.
The following day, her father Yaar Hossain filed a murder case against unidentified individuals at the Cumilla Kotwali Model Police Station.
Initially, local police and the district Detective Branch (DB) investigated the case, followed by a prolonged investigation by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), yet they failed to solve the case.
Later, following orders from the Police Headquarters, the CID handed over the case files to the PBI Headquarters in Dhaka on Oct 21, 2020.
Inspector Md Mujibur Rahman of PBI investigated the case for nearly four years.
In September 2024, Inspector Md Tariqul Islam took charge as the sixth investigating officer of the case.
On Apr 6 this year, Tariqul appealed to the court requesting the creation of DNA profiles for three former army personnel.
They were retired sergeant Zahiduzzaman, the prime accused in the case, warrant officer Hafizur and former soldier Shahinul Alam.
The investigating officer announced the arrest of Hafizur on Apr 22.
The court directed the issuance of Interpol red notices against Zahiduzzaman and Shahinul afterwards.
