Nine years on, Tonu rape and murder case still hanging in limbo

Published : Wednesday, 19 March, 2025 at 4:54 PM Count : 256

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Nine years after the rape and murder of Sohagi Jahan Tonu, the case remains unresolved, with another investigator taking charge.

The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) in Dhaka has appointed Inspector Tariqul Islam in October last as the latest investigating officer.

Despite six officers from four agencies probing the case over the last nine years, no investigation report has been submitted so far, and law enforcement agencies have failed to make a single arrest in the 3,287 days since the murder.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) previously claimed to have interrogated around 200 individuals, including army personnel, but no significant progress was made.

Tonu, a student of Cumilla Victoria College's history department and a theatre activist, was raped and murdered inside Cumilla Cantonment on March 20, 2016.

The incident triggered nationwide protests and garnered widespread media attention, both locally and internationally. However, no trial has taken place in the nine years since.

Even after two autopsies at Cumilla Medical College Hospital, the cause of death could not be determined.

The only confirmed development in the case was through DNA tests, which proved that Tonu had been raped before her murder.

Investigators found spermatozoa from three unidentified individuals on her clothes, but the samples did not match any known suspects.

The PBI took over the investigation in 2020 as per the decision of the Police Headquarters.

Tonu's mother, Anwara Begum, said in a tearful voice, "The hope for justice for my daughter is fading day by day. The new investigating officer has yet to meet us. We are waiting to see what steps he takes."

Her father, Yaar Hossain, added, "The new investigator contacted me over the phone and asked me to visit him in Dhaka. But after suffering a stroke and undergoing surgery, my health does not allow me to travel."

Contacted, newly appointed investigating officer Inspector Tariqul Islam of PBI said, "We are verifying all evidence and information related to the case. An official process is underway to visit the crime scene in Cumilla. If there is any development, our senior officials will brief the media."

Court Inspector Sadekur Rahman confirmed that PBI Dhaka is now leading the investigation.

Advocate Shahidul Haque Swapon, a human rights lawyer, said, "This is a failure of the state to properly investigate Tonu's murder, even after all these years."

FP/MI