A Dhaka court on Tuesday approved the appointment of nine lawyers including Advocate Sishir Monir to conduct the case over the murder of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi.

Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Mahbubul Haque passed the order after hearing a petition filed by plaintiff Nowsher Ali Roman, brother of Runi to conduct the case at the plaintiff’s own cost.

The other lawyers include Advocates Muzahidul Islam, Mizanul Haque, Mostafa Jamal, Abu Russell, Mohiuddin, Abdullah Al Faruk, Iqbal Hossain and Mottakin Hossain.

On Monday, Nowsher filed a petition seeking permission for appointment of nine lawyers to assist the state in the case.

Sagar-Runi murder: HC orders removal of RAB from probe, formation of task force

According to the petition, no investigation report was submitted till today since the death of the journalist couple on February 11, 2011 in their residence.

Besides, there is no progress in the case.

To dispose of the case soon, more lawyers needed to be appointed to assist the public prosecutor.

The High Court on Monday ordered the formation of a high-level task force to investigate the murder case of journalist couple that remained unsolved for 12 years.

The court directed the Home Ministry to execute the decision after removing the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) from the investigation.

On the night of February 11, 2012, Sagar Sarowar, news editor at Maasranga Television, and Meherun Runi, senior reporter at ATN Bangla, were brutally murdered in their rented apartment in West Rajabazar, Dhaka.

Their only son, Mahir Sarowar Megh (then 5 years old), was present in the house at the time of the killings.

Runi's brother, Nowsher Ali Roman, filed a murder case at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station.

Initially, the case was assigned to Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station for investigation. Three days later, it was handed over to the Detective Branch (DB) of police.

After DB failed to make progress, the case was transferred to RAB on April 18, 2012.

Police arrested Tanvir Rahman in connection with the murder case on October 1, 2012. Later, he secured bail in 2014.

The seven other suspects are Rafiqul Islam, Bakul Mia, Abu Syed, Mintu alias Baggira Mintu alias Masum Mintu, Quamrul Hasan alias Arun, security guard Enam Ahmed alias Humayun Kabir and Palash Rudra Pal.

Out of the eight people arrested in connection with the case, two were granted bail, while the others are in jail.