‘Won’t stop until justice is served’

Expressing frustration over the failure to complete investigation even after nine years into the murder of journalist-couple Sagar Sarwar and Meherun Runi, journalist leaders yesterday vowed to continue their movement until families of the victims get justice.

Within the next month, they said they will coordinate among all the journalist organisations and form a "Sangram Parishad" to continue their movement.

They were speaking at a programme at Dhaka Reporters' Unity.

Rezwanul Haque Raza, vice president of Jatiya Press Club and chief news editor of Masranga Television, said, "The investigation into the murders had not been completed for nine long years. But we don't want to be disappointed as trial of many murders have taken place even after a long time."

Runi's younger brother Nowsher Alam Roman and the couple's only son Mahir Sarowar Megh (14) were present at the programme.

Sagar, news editor at private TV channel Maasranga, and Runi, a senior reporter at ATN Bangla, were killed in the early hours of February 11, 2012, at their rented flat in the capital's West Rajabazar.

Megh, only five at the time, was in the apartment when his parents were murdered.

Immediately after the incident, the then home minister Sahara Khatun said the killers would be arrested in 48 hours. Police officials also claimed to have made "significant progress" in the investigation at the time.

But nine years on, justice still remains a far cry.

So far, the investigators have been approached at least 78 times to submit probe reports, but they could not make any headway in the sensational case.

On several occasions, different courts have expressed dissatisfaction over the investigation.

Yesterday's protest rally was presided by DRU president Mursalin Nomani, and moderated by its general secretary Mashiur Rahman Khan.

Journalist leaders M Abdullah, Omar Farooq, Abdul Majid, Quddus Afrad, Sajjad Alam Khan, Sakhawat Hossain Badshah, Saiful Islam, Ilias Hossain, Rafiqul Islam Azad, Syed Shukur Ali, Raju Ahmed, and Shahidul Islam, among others, spoke at the programme.