Bangladesh Court Issues Arrest Warrants for Two Former Soldiers in 2016 Student Murder Case
Photo Collected
A Cumilla court has issued arrest warrants for two former military personnel in connection with the 2016 murder of college student Sohagi Jahan Tanu. Judge Muminul Haque of the Senior Judicial Magistrate Court ordered the move on Monday, further directing authorities to issue Interpol Red Notices to secure the suspects, who are believed to have fled or are currently outside the country.
The suspects are identified as former Sergeant Zahiduzzaman, who served with the 12 Engineer Battalion at the time of the incident, and former soldier Shahin Alam, who was attached to the 2 Signal Battalion at the Cumilla Cantonment. Both men have since retired or been discharged from military service. Investigators have long alleged that Zahiduzzaman played a central role in the physical assault and subsequent killing of the victim, while officials confirmed that Alam is currently residing abroad.
The warrants follow a formal petition filed by Inspector Tariqul Islam of the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), who is leading the inquiry into the case. The PBI also requested that the military provide any documentation or evidence relevant to the investigation that may remain within their jurisdiction. As of Monday, investigators were awaiting formal copies of the court orders to proceed with the next phase of the international pursuit.
Legal proceedings in the long-standing case have recently gained momentum following new forensic disclosures. Authorities reported that DNA analysis of clothing worn by Tanu at the time of her death identified genetic material belonging to four individuals. While previous testing revealed the presence of three distinct sperm samples, recent findings have identified blood samples belonging to a fourth, previously unidentified person, adding a new dimension to the criminal investigation.
Concurrent with the issuance of the warrants, the court ordered the detention of Hafizur Rahman, a former Senior Warrant Officer, who was apprehended by police in Keraniganj on April 21. Rahman, who was stationed at the Cumilla Cantonment during the time of the murder, appeared in court on Monday, where no bail application was submitted on his behalf. The court subsequently remanded him to custody.
The case dates back to the evening of March 20, 2016, when Sohagi Jahan Tanu, a student at Cumilla Victoria Government College, disappeared while traveling to a private tutoring engagement within the restricted grounds of the Cumilla Cantonment. Her body was discovered hours later in a wooded area near the base’s power station, sparking nationwide outrage and years of public demand for accountability.
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