There have been several murders and deaths over the past decade that have not been resolved yet, with families of the victims alleging that they have been deliberately covered up with the direct involvement of those in power.
Among them is the death of Mosarat Jahan Munia, where the main accused, Bashundhara Group Managing Director Sayem Sobhan Anvir, was acquitted. There are also allegations surrounding the investigation of Sohagi Jahan Tonu’s murder case in Comilla. In the 2012 Tazreen Fashions fire, which left 114 dead, no witnesses were initially found to testify in the trial.
The families of these victims continue to live in the hope of getting justice. Will they finally receive it now that the government and administration have changed?
On March 20 this year, Sayem Sobhan Anvir and seven other individuals were acquitted of charges of murder and rape in the case over the death of Munia.
Judge Shawkat Ali of Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-8 dismissed the objection petition from the plaintiff's side and accepted the final report submitted by the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), leading to this decision.
Munia was a second-year college student in Dhaka. Her body was found in an apartment on Road 120, Gulshan 2. That night, Munia's elder sister, Nusrat Jahan, filed a case with Gulshan police station, accusing Anvir of abetting suicide. Anvir was the sole accused in the case, but the police submitted a final report to the court, stating that the charges against him could not be substantiated.
From the beginning, there were fears that the case might be influenced or suppressed due to the involvement of powerful individuals; the Justice for Munia platform has been organizing continuous programs trying to ensure that it does not happen.
It said on social media it had consistently maintained that the Sheikh Hasina government, especially its investigative and judicial systems, had been corrupt. As a result, justice still eluded Munia’s family, it added.
“The autocratic government was overthrown just a week ago, and it is too soon to draw conclusions. However, a message we received from multiple sources has raised concerns. ‘To restore economic stability, the confidence of businesses must be regained.’ We agree, but does this mean that the businessmen who propped up the autocratic system and were given impunity for their crimes will not be held accountable? If so, how will the corrupt investigative and judicial systems be reformed? And how will the people build trust in this interim government?”
Will Tonu’s parents get justice?
March 20 marked eight years since the murder of Sohagi Jahan Tonu, a student of Comilla Victoria Government College and a theatre activist. Despite the time that has passed, the reasons behind this murder and the identities of those involved remain unknown.
Over three and a half years ago, the case was transferred from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), but no progress has been made and no suspects have been identified.
In 2016, Tonu’s body was found in a forested area within the Comilla Cantonment. She had gone to tutor a student in a house inside the cantonment on March 20 evening, and her body was discovered later that night.
Tonu’s father, Iyar Hossain, who was a support staff at the Comilla Cantonment Board, then filed a murder case against unknown persons with Kotwali model police station. The case was initially investigated by the police, then by the Detective Branch (DB) and later by the CID. The PBI has been investigating the case for over three years.
Two autopsies were conducted on Tonu’s body, but neither forensic report mentioned a clear cause of death. In May 2017, the CID conducted DNA tests on samples taken from Tonu’s clothes, which revealed the presence of sperm from three men. The CID questioned three suspects at the Dhaka Cantonment, but none were arrested. It was never disclosed whether the DNA samples matched anyone, and in November 2020, the PBI was tasked to investigate the case.
In this situation, Tonu’s parents had lost hope of getting justice. In March, Tonu’s father, Iyar Hossain, said he did not want justice anymore. “What is the point of seeking justice? There is no justice for the poor."
Tonu’s mother, Anwara Begum, expressed her frustration, saying the PBI sat in Dhaka giving speeches. “When they summon us, they harass us. We may be poor, but we are not anyone’s slaves and we will not be denied justice for our daughter’s murder."
Now, emerging from that despair and anger, Anwara spends her days and nights glued to her TV. When contacted, she asked when the authorities would talk about getting justice for Tonu’s murder.
“We wait, hoping they will mention our daughter’s case just once. Those who have lost [their loved ones] will understand; how can others?"
Anwara said she had already accepted that she would not get justice for her daughter’s murder during the previous government’s rule. But, she noted, now that a new government had assumed power, she was seeing many changes. “I thought they might talk about my daughter on TV too. But they have not mentioned her even once. Her father stays up all night. We take turns watching TV, hoping for some news."
Tazreen fire
It was November 24, 2012. A massive fire broke out at the Tazreen Fashions factory in Nishchintapur, Ashulia. The blaze claimed the lives of 112 workers. While the flames in the building have long been extinguished, the smouldering anger in the hearts of the workers who lost their loved ones still burns. The fight for compensation and justice continues almost 12 years later.
Lovely, Roksana, Shah Alam and Bulbuli were among those killed that day, yet there are "no witnesses" in Nishchintapur.
The day after the horrific tragedy, SI Khairul Islam of Ashulia police station filed a case alleging murder due to negligence. Despite 12 years passing since the case was filed, the trial remains incomplete. The process of recording testimonies is ongoing. There are 104 witnesses in the case, but only 11 have testified so far. The next hearing is scheduled for August 19.
Garment workers’ leader Shahidul Islam said the trial had been delayed on the pretext of searching for witnesses.
He said many of these witnesses were still in Nishchintapur.
“What happens under the changed circumstances will be seen in the next hearing. However, those who have been helping delay justice must be held accountable," Shahidul added.
On December 22, 2013, the investigating officer, Inspector AKM Mohsinuzzaman Khan of the CID, pressed charges against 13 individuals, including Tazreen Fashions MD Delwar Hossain. He submitted the charge sheet after finding evidence against the accused in the investigation a year and 28 days after the incident.
The individuals named in the charge sheet also include Tazreen Fashions Chairperson Mahmuda Akhtar, loader Shamim Mia, store in-charge (yarn) Al Amin, security in-charge Anisur Rahman, security supervisor Al Amin, store manager Hamidul Islam Lovlu, administrative officer Dulal Uddin, Engineer M Mahbubul Morshed, factory manager Abdur Razzaq, quality manager Shahiduzzaman Dulal, production manager Mubarak Hossain Monju and security guard Rana alias Anarul.
