ARTICLE 19, a UK-based rights organization, has said it is concerned by the fact that the Rapid Action Battalion has for the 91st time failed to submit its investigation report in the case filed over the murder of journalist couple Sagar Sarwar and Meherun Runi 10 years ago.
A Dhaka court ordered RAB to submit its probe report on September 26 after it failed to do so on Wednesday.
Continued failures by law enforcement agencies to conduct effective and transparent investigations raise the question whether the authorities are interested in bring the perpetrator(s) to justice or not, ARTICLE 19 said in a statement issued on Thursday.
Faruq Faisel, regional director for ARTICLE 19 South Asia, said: “The unsolved Sagar-Runi murder case is a shameful example of appalling and pervasive culture of impunity regarding crimes against journalists and questions the whole status of proper justice and the rule of law in Bangladesh, where killers go free.”
“Public trust and confidence in rule of law and in law enforcement agencies is declining due to a culture of impunity. The Bangladesh government must uphold its commitments under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by conducting and completing prompt, independent and effective investigations into the murders of journalists Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi, including by bringing perpetrators to justice,” he added.
Sagar Sarwar, news editor of Maasranga Television, and Meherun Runi, senior reporter of ATN Bangla TV, were killed on the night of February 10, 2012 in Dhaka.
Soon after the murder, then-home minister Shahara Khatun assured that the killers would be arrested within 48 hours, which is yet to happen.
ARTICLE 19 strongly called on the authorities to look into the lack of goodwill in this investigation by the law enforcement agencies and investigate any intentional mishandling regarding the case as to why the probe report had been delayed for the 91st time.