A high-powered task force investigating the sensational double murder of journalist couple journalist couple, Maasranga Television News Editor Golam Mostafa Sarwar (known as Sagar Sarwar) and ATN Bangla Senior Reporter Meherun Nahar Runi (known as Meherun Runi), has revealed in its latest progress report that neither victim sustained severe injuries to vital organs, suggesting the killings do not align with typical professional contract hits. The comprehensive findings were presented on Tuesday before the High Court bench comprising Justice Shikder Mahmudur Razi and Justice Fatema Anwar, following a state plea for additional time. The court subsequently granted a six-month extension, fixing April 29 for the next order.
According to the autopsy and inquest reports cited in the special observations of the task force—comprising experienced officials from various agencies including the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Police Headquarters, and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)—the victims suffered numerous wounds that caused massive blood loss. However, the evidence indicates that both Sagar and Runi remained alive for a considerable duration after being wounded. The inspection of the crime scene and the nature of the injuries—including trauma to the neck, back, and beneath the eyes—show that the perpetrators did not act in haste.
The investigation report highlights that DNA profiling conducted on samples collected from the bedsheet used to bind Sagar Sarwar and Meherun Runi's T-shirt identified two unknown male profiles. Attempts to generate facial sketches of these unidentified suspects through two specialized laboratories in the United States proved unsuccessful due to a high degree of DNA mixture, yielding no matches in the national database. Investigators collected and sent 25 buccal swab samples alongside forensic evidence—including the murder knife, a traditional chopper, knife handles, and the victims' apparel—to multiple foreign laboratories. While four distinct DNA profiles—three male and one female—were ultimately recovered from the scene, identifying the victim couple as two of them, the identities of the remaining two unknown males remain unresolved, and the fundamental motive behind the crime remains elusive.
The progress report explicitly rules out several traditional motives, stating that there is no evidence to suggest a murder-suicide pact arising from marital discord, nor any indication that the killings were professionally motivated. Investigators reviewed the couple's background, noting that they had returned from Germany just seven months prior to their deaths. Consultations with senior colleagues at Maasranga Television revealed no known professional rivalries or enmity. Furthermore, inquiries into the Summit Bibiyana Power Plant project—which commenced construction in 2013 and operations in 2015—along with a thorough check of their ancestral village home, confirmed no links to real estate disputes, financial conflicts, or land feuds.
Despite exhaustive efforts by the multi-agency task force, the stolen mobile phone and two laptops belonging to the victims have yet to be recovered. The task force noted that several key former officials, including former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Hasan Mahmud Khandaker, former Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Detective Branch Chief Monirul Islam, former RAB Director General Mokhlesur Rahman, and former Home Minister Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, could not be reached for questioning. However, journalist Rumi Noman has been interrogated and his statement recorded, while efforts to question other relevant figures are ongoing. Investigators believe interviewing these individuals could unearth crucial leads or directional insights.
The task force report also addresses emerging leads involving former National Telecommunication Monitoring Center (NTMC) Director General Major General (Retd.) Ziaul Ahsan and media personality Rokeya Prachie. Citing statements made on August 30 by International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) Prosecutor Tanvir Hasan Zoha—who claimed the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) seized digital evidence, including geo-locations, SMS logs, and Call Detail Records (CDRs), from Ziaul Ahsan's Barishal residence—and supporting remarks from ICT Chief Prosecutor Md. Aminul Islam, the report details that tribunal prosecutors are independently scrutinizing potential links. Although formal requests for the digital evidence and data were formally communicated to the Chief Prosecutor via a memorandum on October 13, 2026, the materials have not yet been handed over to the PBI investigator. The task force emphasized that additional time is indispensable to thoroughly examine the tribunal's data, interrogate witnesses, trace the stolen belongings, and ultimately unmask and apprehend the perpetrators.
