On February 11, 2012, journalist couple Sagar Sarwar and Meherun Runi were brutally murdered in their West Rajabazar home in Dhaka. Thirteen years and six months later, the investigation remains unfinished, and no one has been held accountable, an emblem of Bangladesh’s culture of impunity.
Runi’s brother, Nowsher Alam first filed the case at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station. Within days, it was transferred to the Detective Branch (DB), then the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and finally the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI). Each agency promised progress. Each failed. The DB admitted defeat in April 2012. RAB investigated for six years, producing nothing but time extensions. In November 2024, the PBI formally took charge.
DNA samples from clothing, a scarf used to tie Sagar, and other items were sent to a US lab. The results confirmed the presence of two unidentified individuals, yet no suspects have been matched. Eight people have been arrested at different times, some in unrelated cases, but investigators admit no clear evidence links them to the murders.
In October 2024, the Home Ministry formed a four-member task force to report to the High Court within six months. The deadline has passed without results. PBI officials acknowledge there is still “no new progress.”
“We are completely in the dark. There is someone big behind this. Otherwise, the truth would have come out long ago,” said Sagar’s mother, Saleha Monir. Runi’s brother added that he cannot hope for justice until results are visible.
The failure to resolve the Sagar-Runi murder is both a tragedy for their families and a warning for press freedom and the rule of law. Thirteen years on, promises of justice remain unfulfilled, while accountability remains absent.
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