On the night of February 11, 2012, in a quiet flat in West Rajabazar, Dhaka, the heart of Bangladeshi journalism was ripped out. Sagar Sarowar, news editor at Maasranga TV, and his wife Meherun Runi, a senior reporter at ATN Bangla, were brutally stabbed to death.
They were not alone. Their four-year-old son, Mahir Sarowar Megh, was present, discovering his parents' bodies in the early morning light—a trauma that remains one of the most heartbreaking images in the history of the nation. As of December 19, 2025, thirteen years have passed. The investigation has been deferred a staggering 122 times. No one has been charged. No motive has been officially confirmed.
The "High-Profile" Motive: What Were They About to Publish?
Rumors have persisted for over a decade that the couple was murdered not by "grill-cutting burglars," but by a professional "killer squad." At the time of their deaths, Sagar and Runi were reportedly investigating corruption in Bangladesh’s energy sector—a multi-billion dollar industry involving high-ranking politicians and government officials.
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The Missing Evidence: Following the murders, Sagar’s two laptops and mobile phone—containing his research and an unfinished book on the militarized Chittagong Hill Tracts—were the only items stolen.
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The ATN Bangla Connection: Rumors heavily implicated Mahfuzur Rahman, Chairman of ATN Bangla (Runi's employer). Rahman drew nationwide fury when he claimed in London that the murders were the result of an "extramarital affair"—a statement journalists saw as a deliberate attempt to deflect from political motives. Despite intense protests demanding his arrest, he was only recently interrogated by the PBI in late 2024.
A Masterclass in Deliberate Failure: Authorities and Impunity
The investigation into the Sagar-Runi murder is a textbook example of institutionalized impunity. The "errors" made by authorities were so consistent they appeared choreographed to ensure the truth never surfaced.
1. The "48-Hour" Promise
Then-Home Minister Sahara Khatun famously promised to catch the killers within 48 hours. When that deadline passed, the narrative shifted. Authorities eventually claimed that journalists and onlookers had "destroyed evidence" at the crime scene before police arrived—a convenient excuse for a botched initial forensics sweep.
2. The Deferral Circus
The case has been passed from the Detective Branch (DB) to the elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and finally to the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) in late 2024.
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122 Extensions: The court has granted extension after extension. In any functioning judicial system, 122 delays would be seen as a collapse of the rule of law.
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The DNA Dead-End: Samples were sent to the US for testing in 2012. Results showed the presence of two "outsiders," yet no matches were ever made or pursued aggressively among high-profile suspects.
3. State-Sponsered Silence
The case mirrors the tragic reality of Gaza’s journalists, where the killers of members of the press operate with total impunity. In Bangladesh, this impunity wasn't enforced by bombs, but by bureaucratic paralysis. By failing to solve this case, the state sent a clear message to all investigative reporters: Some secrets are worth more than your life.
The Human Cost: A Child Without Answers
The most tragic figure in this saga is Megh, the son who is now a young man. He has grown up in a country that celebrated his parents’ work but refused to find their killers. In late 2024, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus met with Megh, gifting him a plot of land—a gesture of state sympathy, but one that many say is a poor substitute for the justice his family is owed.
The Verdict of History
As the 2026 elections approach, the Sagar-Runi case remains the ultimate litmus test for the interim government. Will the PBI task force finally submit a report by the new January 5, 2026 deadline, or will it be extension number 123?
Until the masterminds behind the West Rajabazar massacre are brought to light, the "freedom of the press" in Bangladesh remains a hollow phrase, written in the blood of two of its finest.
Do you believe the recent political shift in Bangladesh will finally allow the truth about the energy sector "killer squads" to be revealed?
🔗 Investigative Sources:
▪️ BSS: Probe report in Sagar-Runi murder case set for January 5, 2026
▪️ Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ): Profile of Meherun Runi and Investigation Motives
▪️ Prothom Alo: 13 years of Sagar-Runi murder case - Almost no investigation for six years
▪️ The Daily Star: High Court orders high-powered task force for Sagar-Runi case
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