Dhaka, Apr 22 (V7N)- The High Court has granted a six-month extension to the high-level task force investigating the murder of journalist couple Sagar Sarwar and Meherun Runi, nearly 13 years after their brutal killing.

A bench comprising Justice Fatema Najib and Justice Sikder Mahmudur Razi passed the order on Tuesday (April 22) in response to a time-extension request from the state.

On February 11, 2012, Sagar Sarwar, then news editor of Maasranga Television, and Meherun Runi, a senior reporter at ATN Bangla, were found murdered in their residence in the capital’s West Rajabazar area. The case initially began under the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station, but after failing to make headway, it was successively transferred to the Detective Branch (DB) and later to RAB, following a High Court order on April 18, 2012.

With the investigation dragging on unresolved for over a decade, the High Court on October 23, 2024, formed a four-member special task force to revive and fast-track the probe. The committee is led by the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) chief and includes representatives from CID, RAB, and the police, all below the rank of Additional DIG.

At Tuesday's hearing, Additional Attorney General Arshadur Rouf represented the state, while Advocate Shishir Monir appeared on behalf of the writ petitioner. The state requested nine more months to complete the investigation, citing “ongoing progress,” but the court granted six months, setting October 22, 2025, as the next hearing date for submission of an update.

  • The original six-month period granted to the task force expired recently without resolution.

  • In September 2024, the Home Ministry filed a request to revise the earlier order assigning RAB to lead the investigation. The court subsequently formed the task force on September 30.

  • The case continues to garner public outrage and attention, particularly from journalist unions and human rights organizations, who demand justice and transparency.

As the investigation stretches into its 13th year, the High Court’s latest order renews pressure on the authorities to uncover the truth and deliver long-overdue justice in one of Bangladesh’s most high-profile unsolved murder cases.

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