Guard held over Sagar-Runi murder

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) says they have arrested Humayun alias Enamul, the security guard who used to work in the apartment block where murdered journalist couple Sagar Sarwar and Mehrun Runi used to live.

Enamul, who had been absconding lately, was arrested from Brahmanbaria Railway Station.

RAB officials said Enamul was nabbed around 5:00am when he was heading for Sreemangal.

Enamul is being brought to Dhaka and more details might be made available at a press conference later in the afternoon, according to them.

Home Minister MK Alamgir had said that Enamul was involved in the killing. On Oct 10, a reward of Tk 1 million was announced for information leading to his arrest.

Enamul was earlier detained in connection with the Sagar-Runi murder case for questioning on Feb 11 last year. Later he was released.

After the RAB took charge of the investigation from the police, they said they were looking to get hold of Enamul to probe the case. Police had admitted failure in the investigation.

It has almost been a year since the journalist couple was murdered, but there has been no breakthrough in the investigation. Journalist organisations have been building up pressure on the government to book the culprits responsible for the twin murder.

Eight months after the murders, Home Minister M K Alamgir revealed on Oct 9 that eight suspects had been picked up for questioning. But he could not shed any light on the motive behind the murders.

Those arrested were Runi’s ‘friend’ Tanvir Rahman, a security guard of the apartment Palash Rudra Paul and suspected criminals Rafiqul, Bakul Mia, Masum Mintu, Kamrul Hassan and Mohammad Sayeed.

Enamul, the eighth suspect, had been absconding ever since he had been questioned immediately after the murder and then let off.

The five criminals arrested were also accused in the killing of Dr Narayan Chandra Dutta Nitai, who led an association of medical practitioners.

Maasranga television News Editor Sagar Sarwar and ATN Bangla Senior Reporter Mehrun Runi were found murdered in Dhaka on Feb 11 last year.

Erstwhile Home Minister Sahara Khatun had asked the police to nab the culprits within 48 hours of the murder. But that did not happen.

Now the RAB has taken over the case and sent DNA samples of over a dozen suspects to the United States for test.