Former military officer Ziaul Ahsan and cultural figure Rokeya Prachy have emerged in the investigation into the 2012 murder of journalist couple Sagar Sarwar and Meherun Runi, Attorney General Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal has said.

He disclosed the information to journalists on Tuesday, October 27, after the state submitted an investigation progress report to the High Court.

According to the attorney general, the state presented the report based on information obtained through the prosecution of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT). He said investigators need more time to examine evidence, including around 300 CDs seized from Ziaul Ahsan’s residence in Barishal.

The High Court has extended the deadline for submitting the investigation report until April 29 next year. A high-level task force is examining the material to prepare a comprehensive report.

However, the emergence of information linking individuals to the case does not establish their guilt. The evidence must be independently verified, and any final determination will depend on the investigation and subsequent court proceedings.

Sagar Sarwar, news editor at Maasranga Television, and Meherun Runi, a senior reporter at ATN Bangla, were murdered at their rented home in Dhaka’s West Rajabazar on February 11, 2012. Runi’s brother filed a murder case the following day.

The investigation was initially handled by police and later transferred to the Detective Branch before the Rapid Action Battalion took over. In September 2024, the High Court ordered RAB to be removed from the investigation and directed the formation of a high-level task force under the Home Ministry.

The case remains under investigation more than 14 years after the murders.