A late afternoon with Meherun Runi and eternal regret

Following the regime change in 2024, it was widely anticipated that the entire nation would witness a just investigation and trial regarding the highly publicized Sagar-Runi murder. However, that expectation was quickly dashed. Reports indicate that the interim government has severely mishandled the investigation process related to this case. During their time in office, it is unlikely that any further progress will be made. With national elections scheduled for February 12, it is expected that there will be a significant decrease in public demands for justice on February 11, the anniversary of their murder. Currently, the focus is predominantly on power. The call for justice in the Sagar-Runi case will be muted amidst the competition for parliamentary seats, ministerial positions, and the prime ministership. Allow me to share a narrative. A narrative concerning the heinous murder of two individuals.

The main office of the nation's first satellite channel, ATN Bangla, is situated in the WASA building at Karwan Bazar. The newsroom of the channel is located on the eighth floor of the Dhaka Trade Center, which is positioned to the south of the WASA building. I served as a reporter for this channel from March 2010 until September 2013. During this time, I was a colleague of journalist Meherun Runi. We collaborated for a brief period. A few months prior to her tragic death on February 11, 2012, she returned to ATN Bangla. I emphasize this point again as she was employed at ATN Bangla before her husband, Sagar Sarwar, relocated to Germany for work. This move to Germany marked a pause in her journalism career. Meherun Runi was among the initial staff members of the news broadcasting department at the channel.

February 10, 2012, was a Friday. I was on night duty. According to the work schedule of ATN Bangla, the reporters assigned for the night began arriving at the office from 10pm. At that time, I resided in Mohammadpur, living a single life. With no responsibilities at home, I decided to go to the ATN Bangla office that afternoon. That day marked the last time I encountered Meherun Runi. In the ATN Bangla newsroom, Meherun Runi occupied a seat two places to the left of mine. She held a fondness for me as a younger colleague. Not just me, but the other younger staff members in the office also admired her. She was an open-minded and vibrant individual. On that Friday afternoon, or perhaps it was already evening, she exited the ATN Bangla newsroom for the final time. Her last departure. I still vividly recall that Runi Apa hurriedly left, carrying a bag and some winter clothing. She exclaimed, 'Let's go!'

At that time, Ilias Hossain, my former colleague at Channel One, was working as a News Editor at SA TV. Currently, he is working as the Head of News at R TV. On February 11, 2012, around 8:30 am, Ilias Bhai called me. He said, where are you? I had come from night duty and I was fast asleep. Somehow, I picked up the phone and said, at home. He said softly, turn on the TV. Your Runi Apa and her husband have been murdered. I went to the TV room in one go. I saw the breaking news in red ink, a journalist couple murdered in their home in East Rajabazar. My classmate, Saiful Samin, a news reporter for the Daily Prothom Alo, lived in that house at the time. I called him. I said, "Everything is destroyed. Watch TV." Then I came out.

I can say that I almost ran to that house in East Rajabazar. I saw that many colleagues had already reached there, many from ATN Bangla and Maasranga TV. The place was quite crowded. After entering the flat and crossing the drawing space, I entered Runi Apa and Sagar Bhai's room. I am a fairly strong-nerved person. Seeing a dead body is not a difficult task for me. I bravely went to the door of the room. Bloody, a messy room. Sagar Bhai's hands and feet were tied. Runi Apa's T-shirt was lifted up a little. The blood stream had already dried up. What a horrific scene. Two lifeless people were lying dead. The crowd was growing as time went by. High-ranking police officers, professionals from various offices, and many journalists had gathered. The police chief, the Home Minister and hundreds of others rushed in.

I departed from Runi Apa's residence to the ATN Bangla office. The office was quiet. No one uttered a word. I was assigned by the office to proceed to Masaranga TV. I set out with a team. Upon arriving at Masaranga TV, the atmosphere was unchanged. The mood was somber. It resembled the ambiance of a house in mourning. Sagar Bhai was highly esteemed and well-liked at Masaranga TV. I captured a photograph of Sagar Bhai's chair, where he had worked the night before. I returned to ATN Bangla with interviews from several sorrowful colleagues. I composed a news report about Sagar Bhai, which aired during the 2 pm news segment. After the Asr prayers, Runi Apa's body was brought in front of ATN Bangla. The funeral service took place. Subsequently, we said our final goodbyes in the fading light of the afternoon.

The Sagar-Runi murder stands as the most talked-about event in Bangladesh's history. There was a widespread expectation that the truth behind this murder would soon be revealed, and that the perpetrators would face severe consequences. However, a scandal erupted surrounding this highly sensitive case. Runi Apa's character was subjected to assassination, with some colleagues from ATN Bangla being portrayed as her lovers, and speculation arose regarding the murder being motivated by the anger over news coverage in the energy sector. Even I, as the writer, have been accused by some of being an active participant in this murder. With the true mystery remaining unsolved, various doubts, stories, and theories have contributed to the enigma of this incident, leading to significant uncertainty about whether the truth behind this murder will ever be uncovered.

I myself have done a lot of news on the murder of Runi Apa and Sagar Bhai. Day after day, I have been roaming around the RAB office and various police offices. I have talked to many officials and senior newsmen. All in all, I think there could be two possible reasons for this murder. One: one or more people from outside killed Runi Apa and Sagar bhai. Two: the incident is subversive. I once talked about this murder with renowned journalist Hasan Shahriar, who passed away in April 2021. Hasan Shahriar was the executive editor of the daily Ittefaq. He also worked for the international media outlet Newsweek for decades. He was a very talented journalist. In a conversation at his home, Hasan Shahriar told me that "the law enforcement agencies had uncovered the mystery of the Sagar-Runi murder within 2-3 days. He also told me a motive for this murder. But since this incident is very sensitive, I do not think it is relevant to mention it here."

According to the description of journalist Hasan Shahriar, "the course of this murder in question changed for some special reason. Since then, the investigation has been going on in a changed and confused course. Which will never end. It will never see the light of day. As the year turns and February 11 comes to mind again, the words of the late journalist Hasan Shahriar about this murder ring in my ears. He said that the mystery of this murder will not end even in eternity. Its course has been changed."

Sheikh Hasina fell, the term of Professor Yunus' interim government also ended. But the mystery of this much-discussed murder was never revealed.

(Author: Meherun Runi's former colleague at ATN Bangla, currently Assistant Professor, Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, Jagannath University)