A Bangladesh court has once again postponed the submission of the investigation report into the murder of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi, extending the deadline for the 128th time despite the formation of a government-appointed task force to complete the long-running inquiry.
The report was due before the court on Wednesday. However, the investigating officer from the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) did not submit the findings within the scheduled timeframe.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Ariful Islam subsequently set 27 August as the next date for submitting the report.
The latest delay means the investigation, which has remained unresolved for more than 14 years, continues without a final report despite repeated extensions.
According to court officials, Additional Superintendent of Police Md Azizul Haque, who is leading the investigation on behalf of the PBI, was unable to file the report on the appointed date.
Sub-Inspector Mazharul Islam of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Prosecution Division confirmed that the court had deferred the submission once again, marking the 128th extension in one of Bangladesh’s most closely watched criminal investigations.
On 11 February 2012, police found Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi murdered in their rented flat in Dhaka’s West Rajabazar area. Their four-year-old son, Mahir Sarwar Megh, was reportedly inside the home at the time of the killings.
The case was filed shortly afterwards by Runi’s brother, Nawser Alam, at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station.
The investigation has passed through several law enforcement agencies over the years. It was initially handled by the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police before being transferred to the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).
RAB remained responsible for the investigation for several years but did not submit a final report despite receiving 111 extensions from the court.
Following a directive from the High Court, the Ministry of Home Affairs established a four-member task force in October 2024 and reassigned the investigation after removing RAB from the case.
Despite that move, the inquiry has yet to reach a conclusion, with the court now awaiting the latest investigation report on 27 August.
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