Staff Reporter :
A high-powered taskforce formed by the Ministry of Home Affairs to investigate the brutal murder of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi is set to interrogate former chief reporter and anchor of Ekattor TV, Farzana Rupa.
According to the investigation officer (IO), PBI Additional Superintendent of Police Azizul Haque, Rupa may provide crucial information that could aid in solving the long-pending case.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate MA Azharul Islam recently approved a prosecution plea permitting the taskforce to question Rupa.”At the time of the murder, Farzana Rupa worked at ATN Bangla alongside victim Meherun Runi.
They were close friends and shared a strong professional and personal bond. She had also covered reports on the murder.
There is a high possibility that her interrogation will yield valuable insights,” the IO stated.The journalist couple was found murdered in their rented flat in West Rajabazar, Dhaka, on February 11, 2012, while their four-year-old son, Mahir Sarwar Megh, was present in the apartment.
Following the incident, Runi’s brother, Nawser Alam, filed a murder case at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police station.
Initially, the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) was assigned to investigate the case. Later, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) took over, but despite multiple extensions, the elite crime unit has failed to submit an investigation report after requesting time 111 times over 12 years.On September 30, 2024, the High Court, dissatisfied with the prolonged delays, ordered the formation of a high-powered taskforce under the Ministry of Home Affairs, removing RAB from the investigation.
On October 23, 2024, the government formally constituted a four-member taskforce to lead the probe.
The team is headed by the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), but the identities of other members remain undisclosed. The taskforce includes representatives from the Police Headquarters, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and RAB, all holding ranks no lower than Additional Deputy Inspector General (DIG) or equivalent.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has directed the taskforce to submit its findings within six months. The fresh interrogation of Farzana Rupa is expected to shed new light on the case and potentially lead to long-awaited justice for the murdered journalists and their family.
