Ten years after the grotesque homicide of Bangladeshi journalists Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi, police are nonetheless on the lookout for the killers. Critics have mentioned the case signifies a scarcity of willingness on the a part of authorities to resolve the case.
Sarowar, who was a former DW journalist, was discovered lifeless alongside his journalist spouse Mehrun Runi, within the bed room of their house in Bangladesh’s capital metropolis of Dhaka on February 11, 2012.
Police mentioned that Sarowar had been tied up, and he and his spouse had been stabbed a number of instances. Their our bodies have been found early within the morning by their then five-year-old son.
Sarowar had labored as a radio host and editor with DW’s Bengali service for 3 years in Bonn, the previous capital of Germany, earlier than returning to his residence nation. Whereas working with DW, he performed a number of interviews with prime political leaders of the South Asian nation and lined political, social and environmental points.
The homicide, which shocked Bangladesh, occurred simply eight months after the couple’s return to Dhaka. On the time of their deaths, Sarowar labored because the information chief of Maasranga TV, whereas Runi was a senior reporter for the ATN Bangla TV channel.
Why have been they killed?
Proper after the homicide, Sahara Khatun, the house minister on the time, vowed to seek out the killers inside 48 hours. Nevertheless, 10 years have handed for the reason that promise was made, and police are but to find the motive behind the homicide.
Runi’s brother Nowsher Roman, who filed the homicide case, expressed shock and frustration over the authorities’ failure to resolve the difficulty.
“Bangladesh police have solved many mysterious instances prior to now. It is arduous to consider that they weren’t capable of finding a clue behind the couple’s homicide even after such a very long time,” Roman advised DW.
“It looks like the killers are very {powerful}. And no person desires to determine them. Even journalists have not executed any in-depth investigation into it,” he added.
Roman recalled that simply two laptops and a cellphone went lacking from the house after the killing — the killers hadn’t taken the rest from the house, which was in the midst of a busy neighborhood, and did not seek for something in every other rooms. The couple’s solely son, who was sleeping in his room in the course of the homicide, remained unhurt.
“The killers took Sarowar’s laptops and cell phone with them after the homicide. Mysteriously, they did not take Runi’s cellphone or every other helpful items from the house,” Roman mentioned.
“Sarowar used these units for his journalistic work,” he added.
Daniel Bastard, head of the Paris-based rights group Reporters With out Borders (RSF), believes the federal government of the Muslim-majority nation hasn’t executed sufficient to resolve the case.
“There are two non-conflicting hypotheses: On the one hand, there has clearly been some mismanagement by the police power, the prosecutor’s workplace, and in the end, by the federal government,” he advised DW.
“Alternatively, suspicions stay extraordinarily excessive relating to the motives behind the homicide, and the hyperlink with the 2 journalists’ investigative work, beginning with [their work on] high-level corruption,” he added.
Heightened worry amongst journalists
Bangladesh’s press freedom state of affairs has modified considerably over the previous decade following the couple’s homicide. A local weather of worry has taken maintain within the media sector because the homicide stays unsolved, even after protests demanding justice for the pair. Many journalists have restricted their investigative work and chosen self-censorship over the previous few years.
“Authorities should present an evidence as to why the investigation into the killing of Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi has taken so lengthy and stays inconclusive even after greater than a decade,” Smriti Singh, Amnesty Worldwide’s deputy regional director for South Asia, advised DW.
“Repeat failures to determine these accountable not solely erodes the religion of the individuals within the regulation enforcement and justice system, but in addition exhibits a scarcity of accountability on the a part of authorities,” mentioned Singh.
“Such extended delays bolster worry amongst journalists for the work they do, and the shortage of safety that they’re afforded by the state,” Singh added.
Bastard identified that Bangladesh has dropped eight positions in RSF’s World Press Freedom Index since 2013, from 144 to 152.
“In fact, this can’t be defined solely by the February 11, 2012 killing. However the ongoing impunity round this case should be understood as a symptom of a bigger pattern of degradation of the extent of press freedom in Bangladesh,” mentioned Bastard.
Journalists proceed to demand justice
Native journalists have continued demanding justice for his or her colleagues. Farida Yasmin, president of Bangladesh’s Press Membership, blames what she sees as a tradition of impunity on the negligence of authorities to seek out clues.
“Not solely the couple’s homicide case, however many different incidents of assaults on journalists have additionally remained unsolved. Journalists usually do not get justice,” she advised DW.
“Other than the police, investigative journalists may have investigated the homicide, however they did not try this both,” Yasmin added.
After the police power failed to resolve the case, the nation’s elite police power Fast Motion Battalion (RAB) has taken on the responsibility of investigating the homicide. Nevertheless, it missed 85 dates to supply an investigative report earlier than the courts in Dhaka.
A spokesperson of the Authorized and Media Wing of the power mentioned it wants extra time to resolve the homicide.
“We have now interrogated round 160 individuals in reference to the homicide prior to now few years. We even took eight of them to remand. However the motive behind the killing is but to be found,” the spokesperson advised DW.
“Some DNA samples of the suspects have been despatched to a forensics lab within the US a couple of years in the past. We’re nonetheless ready for the end result,” the spokesperson added.
In the meantime, Saleha Munir, the mom of Sagar Sarowar, says she’s misplaced hope of getting justice for her son and daughter-in-law.
“I’ve been left clueless in regards to the killing. I wish to know the reality, no matter it’s, earlier than my loss of life,” she mentioned.
Edited by: Leah Carter