Cultural figure found to have link to Sagar-Runi murder: ICT chief prosecutor

International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam on Sunday said that ICT investigators have found a cultural figure’s link to the murder of journalist couple Sagar Sarwar and Meherun Runi.

The link was found during an investigation unrelated to the murder, Aminul told reporters, adding it is natural for investigation into a particular lawsuit to reveal information about another case.

The chief prosecutor made the remarks without revealing the identity of the cultural figure during a press briefing at his office in Dhaka.

After his remarks were publicised on online media portals, Mahir Sarowar Megh, the son of the murdered journalist couple, went to the chief prosecutor’s office seeking travel bans on all the suspects found in different investigations, and a separate lawsuit with the ICT.

Nowsher Ali Noman, brother of Meherun Runi and the plaintiff in the case under a regular court, accompanied Megh at the time.

Md Aminul Islam told them that a complaint can be filed when an aggrieved person feels the need for it, but the ICT would only frame charges if the complaint falls under its legal authority. Otherwise, the complaint will be forwarded to the relevant authorities, the chief prosecutor said.

‘RAB intelligence had prior knowledge of murder’

The latest revelation followed a remark by another tribunal prosecutor and ICT investigation officer, Tanvir Hasan Zoha, who had said that information about the Sagar-Runi murder had surfaced during an investigation into a case against former army officer Ziaul Ahsan.

Speaking to the media, Zoha said the intelligence wing of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) had prior knowledge of the Sagar-Runi murder.

When asked about Zoha’s claim, Chief Prosecutor Aminul Islam said the investigation into the Sagar-Runi murder was being conducted by the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI).

“I can say this much: we have found a connection between a cultural figure and the Sagar-Runi murder.”

The chief prosecutor said the connection was found while reviewing the case-related call detail records (CDRs). “We are verifying and scrutinising the information. The person is under our surveillance. If we find anything more authentic after further investigation, we may share the information with the PBI investigators concerned to assist them,” he said.

Stating that the Sagar-Runi murder case will be tried by the competent sessions court as it is not a “widespread or systematic offence”, the prosecutor said, “Let us see where the investigation leads and what happens.”

Earlier, on 27 August, a Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court fixed 30 September as the next date for submitting the investigation report. This was the 129th time the submission of the report in the case had been deferred.