New clues emerge in Sagar-Runi murder case: Zoha

International Crimes Tribunal prosecutor Tanvir Hassan Zoha on Friday claimed that new evidence has emerged in the long-running murder case of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi, including information allegedly linking former Major General Ziaul Ahsan to the killings.

Speaking to the Daily Sun, Zoha said the information was uncovered while examining digital archives seized by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) from a residence of Ziaul Ahsan in Barishal in connection with an ACC case against him.

“We seized the digital evidence in connection with another case and, while examining the material, we found records related not only to Sagar-Runi but also to several other matters of national importance. There were voice recordings, CDRs and SMSs,” he said.

Zoha said investigators also obtained a tower dump from the area around the Indira Road residence where Sagar and Runi were murdered.

“From the tower dump, we identified four numbers, and in one of the numbers we found a person who was working with RAB at the time,” he said.

According to Zoha, investigators found that the person had gone to the location on the instructions of Ziaul Ahsan.

“Initially, the person denied it. Later, when we told him that he could either be arrested or made a witness, he shared some information with me,” Zoha said.

He said Ziaul Ahsan had earlier instructed the person that an important incident would take place the following day and asked him to come in the morning, without telling him where to go.

The person also told investigators that there was possibly a document related to the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) or another matter that could have caused problems, Zoha claimed.

The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) is currently investigating the Sagar-Runi murder case. Asked whether he would share the new information with the PBI, Zoha said the investigators had not found any clues and were unlikely to find any.

“We will provide the information if the PBI contacts us,” he said, adding that they were also considering whether the case could be taken to the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT).

Meanwhile, a Dhaka court has extended the deadline for submitting the probe report in the case for the 129th time, setting 30 September as the new date.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Ariful Islam passed the order after the PBI failed to submit the report on the scheduled date, said prosecution division Sub-Inspector Rafikul Islam.

Journalists Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi were brutally murdered at their rented flat in the capital’s West Rajabazar on 11 February 2012, in the presence of their then four-year-old son, Mahir Sarwar Megh.

Runi’s brother, Nawser Alam, later filed a murder case with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station.

Initially, the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) was assigned to investigate the case. The investigation was later handed over to the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), which failed to submit the probe report despite seeking 111 extensions over more than 12 years.

On 30 September 2024, the High Court ordered the formation of a high-powered task force through the Ministry of Home Affairs to investigate the case, removing RAB from the investigation.

The government formed a four-member task force on 23 October 2024 through a notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The task force was asked to submit its findings within six months.

The PBI was named convener of the task force, although the notification did not disclose the names of the other members.