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The law enforcers are still in the dark about the motives behind the murder of journalist couple Sagar Sarwar and Meherun Runi, a year after the homicide.
Published : 09 Feb 2013, 12:24 PM
The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) said after arresting a ‘suspect’ of the couple’s murder Saturday that they needed to investigate more.
The elite force have made eight arrests in the last year since the incident. The latest is that of a security guard of the apartment, Humayun alias Enamul, who was picked up from Brahmanbaria Saturday.
They have carried out tests on the DNA samples they collected from 16 suspects in the case, but did not find a match with the DNA samples found at the murder site.
The RAB had sent DNA samples of all the 16 suspects to the United States for their test.
Maasranga television news editor Sagar Sarwar and ATN Bangla senior reporter Meherun Nahar Runi were killed on February 11 last year in their own house at East Razabazar.
“So far there has been no match with the DNA evidence found at the murder site,” RAB Director General Mokhlesur Rahman said.
He said the RAB had so far received reports of nine DNA tests.
Enamul’s DNA sample will also be sent to the US.
Meanwhile, Golam Nowsher Roman, brother of journalist Mehrun Runi and plaintiff of the case, is disappointed with the pace of investigation, and feels the case is 'going nowhere'.
Initially, police's Detective Branch was in charge of the sensational murder case. But it was later handed over to RAB, when DB admitted their failure in securing any breakthrough.
Home Minister Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir announced in October last year that seven people have been arrested among eight identified for their ‘involvement’ in the murder.
Alamgir had announced a Tk 1-million reward for information leading to Enamul’s whereabouts.
The seven arrested earlier are - 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.
Even though the Home Minister claimed that the arrestees had been identified for their involvement in the murder, the RAB chief after making the latest arrest Saturday told reporters that they were all being held as suspects.
"There are still a lot of matters that need to be looked into. We cannot say anything until the probe is complete," the elite force DG added.
He avoided a direct answer when asked how much time the elite force would still need to complete the investigation.
“This sensitive case is based on a ‘scientific’ probe besides a regular investigation. We cannot expect the probe to be completed in a hurry,” he said.
Rahman claimed that the ‘scientific’ probe had unveiled ‘significant’ findings in the case, but did not mention what the findings were.
Nowsher said the investigation so far had failed to unveil even the motive behind the murders.
About the arrests he told bdnews24.com, “There is no reason to view this positively.”
“These aren’t achievements. The law enforcers have achieved nothing in this case.”
After the Sagar-Runi murder in February last year, then Home Minister Sahara Khatun had announced the murderers would be arrested within 48 hours.
After Alamgir took office as the Home Minister, he also announced that progress would be made in the case within a month.
Five of the eight arrested are also accused in the murder of Dr Narayan Chandra Dutta Nitai. The law enforcers claimed they are professional burglars.
