ICT Chief Prosecutor Links Cultural Figure to Sagar-Runi Journalist Murder

International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam has revealed that a cultural figure is linked to the 2012 murder of journalist couple Sagar Sarwar and Meherun Runi. Speaking to reporters at the ICT office in Dhaka on Sunday, Aminul Islam said the connection emerged while reviewing call detail records (CDRs) during an investigation into another case. He did not disclose the person’s identity, stating that further verification is still underway.

Sarwar, news editor of Maasranga Television, and Runi, a senior reporter at ATN Bangla, were killed in their rented apartment in West Rajabazar, Dhaka, on February 11, 2012. The case, which remains unsolved, has drawn widespread public attention and media scrutiny over the years.

Chief Prosecutor Aminul Islam clarified that the ICT’s investigation agency is not directly probing the Sagar-Runi murder. Instead, the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) is handling the case. However, he noted that during their own investigations into other matters, tribunal officials may uncover unrelated clues that could be relevant.

He cited the example of Mozzafor Hossain, who has been accused in the assassination of former President Ziaur Rahman, as a case where investigative leads from the ICT helped other agencies. Similarly, while reviewing CDRs in another investigation, officials found a connection between a cultural figure and the Sagar-Runi murder.

"We are examining and verifying those findings," Aminul Islam said. "We are keeping them under observation. If, after further investigation, we find anything authentic, we may assist the relevant PBI investigators by providing them with the information."

He emphasized that no name or identity can be disclosed at this stage due to ongoing verification and legal constraints.

When asked whether the murder falls under the ICT’s jurisdiction, Aminul Islam clarified that it does not. The ICT only investigates crimes against humanity, genocide, war crimes, or crimes under international law. Since the Sagar-Runi murder was an individual case and not part of a widespread or systematic attack, it will be tried in the appropriate sessions court.

The PBI has been leading the probe into the double murder for over a decade, but no one has yet been convicted.

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