For all latest news, follow the Daily Sun's Google News channel.
Tonu murder: Court orders DNA tests of two more suspects
Daily Sun Report, Dhaka
Published: 21 Jul 2026, 08:08 PM
Sohagi Jahan Tonu. File Photo
A court in Cumilla has ordered the preparation of DNA profiles of two more suspects and comparative testing with DNA samples recovered from the clothing of Cumilla Victoria Government College student Sohagi Jahan Tonu.
Cumilla Senior Judicial Magistrate-1 Md Muminul Haque passed the order on 16 July. The matter was confirmed on Tuesday.
The suspects included former army member Md Zahidul Islam, 41, son of Md Soleiman of Meghai village in Kazipur upazila of Sirajganj, and Faisal Ahmed Rabbi, 32, son of MA Mannan of Lakshminagar-Rajapara area in Cumilla Sadar South upazila.
Tonu's family has accused Zahidul of involvement in the murder since the very beginning, although his name had not previously appeared in the case records. At the time of the murder, Zahidul was serving at Cumilla Cantonment.
According to the court, the order was issued in the interest of ensuring a fair and impartial investigation into the case.
Earlier, the court had ordered DNA testing of three other suspects, one of whom was a former army member.
According to court and related sources, the investigating officer (IO) of the case, Inspector Tarikul Islam of the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), recently filed an application with the court seeking permission to conduct DNA tests on the two suspects.
In its order issued on 16 July, the court observed that DNA technology plays a vital role in ensuring a proper investigation and advancing its progress.
It said comparing the DNA profiles recovered from the victim's clothing with those of the suspects could help identify the actual perpetrators.
The court also noted this is a highly sensational murder case and since the accused remain unidentified, it authorised the IO to take the necessary steps to prepare the DNA profiles of the two suspects and carry out comparative testing in the interest of a fair and impartial investigation.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Inspector Tarikul Islam said, “We are conducting the investigation with the utmost priority. I cannot comment further at this stage. We will brief the media after the investigation is completed."
On 6 April, the IO sought the court's permission to match the DNA samples of three other suspects believed to have been involved in the murder. The court approved the request.
One of them, retired senior warrant officer Hafizur Rahman, was arrested and is currently in the Cumilla Central Jail. Members of the PBI arrested Hafizur from his residence in Keraniganj, Dhaka, on 21 April.
The following day, his DNA sample was collected at the CID Forensic Laboratory in Dhaka.
The other two suspects are former sergeant Jahiduzzaman, also known as Jahid, 48, a resident of Morrelganj upazila in Bagerhat; and soldier Shahin Alam, 37, of Burichang upazila in Cumilla.
Jahid had been serving in Engineer Battalion-12, while Shahin was in Signal Battalion-2 at Cumilla Cantonment at the time of the incident.
On 8 June, a Cumilla court issued arrest warrants against the two and also directed that Interpol red notices be issued against them.
Tonu was a student of history at Cumilla Victoria Government College.
On 20 March 2016, she went missing at Cumilla Cantonment after leaving for private tuition. When she did not return home at night, her family launched a lengthy search and finally recovered the body from a bush inside the cantonment.
The following day, her father, Yar Hossain, filed a murder case with the Kotwali Model Police Station against unnamed individuals.