A court in Cumilla on Monday ordered the issuance of Interpol red notices against retired Sergeant Zahiduzzaman and former army member Shahin Alam, the two prime suspects in the murder case of Sohagi Jahan Tonu, a student of Cumilla Victoria Government College.

The order was issued by Judge Muminul Haque of Cumilla Senior Judicial Magistrate Court No. 1.

According to court sources, Shahin Alam has fled to Kuwait, while the whereabouts of retired Sergeant Zahiduzzaman remain unknown. Meanwhile, the only accused arrested in the case, former Warrant Officer of Cumilla Cantonment's Static Signal unit, Md Hafizur Rahman, a resident of Hogra village in Tangail Sadar, is currently being held at Cumilla Central Jail.

Court sources said investigators obtained important information regarding the murder case during the interrogation of Hafizur Rahman. Evidence and witness statements reportedly indicate the presence of Zahiduzzaman and Shahin Alam at the crime scene and their involvement in the killing.

In his order, Judge Muminul Haque directed the investigation officer, Inspector Md Tarikul Islam, to take necessary steps to issue arrest warrants and seek Interpol red notices against the two absconding suspects so they can be brought under the law and face trial.

Earlier, on April 22, investigation officer and Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) Inspector Md Tarikul Islam produced Hafizur Rahman before the same court and sought a seven-day remand for questioning. After a hearing, the court granted a three-day remand.

According to the case records, Tonu went missing on the evening of March 20, 2016, after going to a residence inside Cumilla Cantonment to provide private tuition. Later, her body was found in bushes near the cantonment's power house after a search operation.