A Cumilla court has granted a three-day remand for Hafizur Rahman in connection with the long-stalled Tonu murder case, marking the first arrest in the case after a decade-long wait.
Senior Judicial Magistrate Mominul Haque of Cumilla Sadar Cognisance Court-1 passed the order on Wednesday afternoon after the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) produced the accused before the court.
The remand was granted for further interrogation as investigators seek to make progress in the widely discussed case.
According to PBI officials, Investigating Officer Tarikul Islam arrested Hafizur Rahman from his residence in Dhaka and later brought him before the Cumilla court for legal proceedings.
Sohagi Jahan Tonu, a history student at Cumilla Victoria Government College, was raped and murdered inside Cumilla Cantonment on 20 March 2016.
The case, which has drawn national attention since the incident, has remained under investigation for years with little visible breakthrough.
On 6 April this year, the seventh investigating officer of the case had sought court permission to cross-match DNA samples of three suspects, including retired army personnel Sergeant Zahid, Warrant Officer Hafizur Rahman and Soldier Jahangir Alam, as part of ongoing forensic efforts.
Court sources said the case has already seen 80 hearing dates over the past decade. During this period, seven different investigating officers from four separate agencies have handled the investigation at various stages, reflecting the prolonged and complex nature of the probe.
The latest development is being seen as a significant step forward, as Hafizur Rahman becomes the first person to be arrested in connection with the case in ten years.
Tonu’s parents, along with her younger brother Rubal Hossain, were present at the Cumilla court during the hearing. Their presence comes amid continued public interest and calls for a swift resolution of the case.
Authorities said investigations are ongoing, and further steps will be taken based on interrogation results and forensic analysis.
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