Journalists on Tuesday staged demonstration demanding arrest of and exemplary punishment for the killers of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi, who were killed eight years ago.
Dhaka Reporters’ Unity staged the demonstration on its premise in the morning, marking the eighth anniversary of the murders.
Leaders of the unity and the National Press Club, both factions of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists and Dhaka Union of Journalists and Crimes Reporters’ Association of Bangladesh took part.
Addressing as the chair, the unity president Rafiqul Islam Azad announced to besiege the home ministry on February 15, to demand justice for the victim family and to offer a memorandum to the home minister to press home their demand.
The speakers at the rally urged journalists in both electronic and print media across the country to be united and to wage a tougher movement for the justice of Sagar and Runi.
Addressing the rally over phone, Sagar Sarwar’s mother in emotion-choked voice demanded justice for the murder of his son and daughter-in-law.
Moderated by the reporters’ unity general secretary Riyaz Chowdhury, the rally was also addressed by, among others, the press club general secretary Farida Yeasmin, BFUJ one faction secretary general Shaban Mahmud, another faction secretary general Shaban Mahmud, DUJ one faction general secretary Sohel Haider Chowdhury, other faction general secretary Shahidul Islam and DRU former general secretary Raju Ahmed.
On February 11, 2012, Sagar, then-news editor of Maasranga TV and his wife Runi, senior reporter of ATN Bangla were murdered in cold blood at their rented flat at Paschim Razabazar in the capital.
Later in the day, the then-home minister Sahara Khatun publicly promised to bring the assailants to the book within 48 hours. The Rapid Action Battalion failed to make any headway in the investigations after it took the charge of the investigation on April 18, 2012.
Separate investigators have pleaded for time to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Dhaka 71 times to complete their investigation.