Chief state counsel Kazal says Sagar-Runi investigation goes nowhere as records missing, witnesses out of reach

The court-formed taskforce probing the high-profile murders of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi is still unable to determine a motive, Attorney General Ruhul Quddus Kazal has said.

The task force lacks access to crucial evidence and records more than a decade after the killings with many witnesses currently out of reach because they left the country after the 2024 political changeover.

He made the remarks during and after a hearing at the High Court which granted the task force six more months to complete the investigation into the murders that occurred in 2012.

The bench of Justice Fatema Najib and Justice AFM Saiful Karim passed the order on Sunday following an application by the attorney general.

Despite the case being 14 years old, the latest probe report indicates that the investigation is stalled due to a lack of "systemic transfer" of information from previous agencies.

Kazal told the court that the current taskforce is struggling to maintain the "chain of investigation" because they cannot access documents held by previous custodians.

“The investigating officer informed me that they do not have access to crucial evidence, including the case diary (CD) and other documents essential for completing the probe,” Kazal said at a press briefing after the hearing.

“Those who were the custodians at the time... the current team simply cannot get through to them. This is the primary obstacle.”