A significant legal breakthrough has emerged in the decade-old Sohagi Jahan Tonu murder case. A Cumilla court on Monday directed investigators to match the DNA samples of three former army personnel with the evidence collected from the victim’s remains.
The order was passed by Judge Md. Mominul Haque of the Cumilla Senior Judicial Magistrate Court-1 after the current Investigation Officer (IO), Inspector Md. Tariqul Islam of the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), presented a progress report.
The DNA Breakthrough
According to court sources and lawyers, the IO moved a petition seeking permission to collect and match DNA samples from three suspects: Sergeant Zahid, Warrant Officer Hafizur Rahman, and Soldier Jahangir (alias Zahid).
While the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had confirmed back in May 2017 that semen from three men was found on Tonu’s clothing, their DNA profiles were never matched against the primary suspects until now. The court has now granted formal consent to proceed with this critical forensic verification.
A Decade of Delay
Sohagi Jahan Tonu, a history student at Cumilla Victoria Government College and a theater activist, was found dead in a bush inside the Cumilla Cantonment on March 20, 2016. Initial evidence suggested she was raped before being murdered.
Despite the passage of ten years, the investigation has seen:
- Four different investigating agencies.
- Six changes in Investigation Officers.
- Two autopsies that failed to determine the clear cause of death.
Family Demands Justice
The victim’s father, Yar Hossain, expressed deep frustration over the long-standing delay. Speaking to reporters, he noted that the family has been naming these suspects since the beginning.
“I want to meet the Prime Minister. Tarique Rahman promised that justice would be established for everyone once the government changed. I want to see that commitment fulfilled,” Yar Hossain said, referring to the recent political transition.
Tonu’s mother, Anwara Begum, echoed the sentiment, stating that if the new government fails to deliver justice, it would prove that “there is no justice for the poor.”
Investigation Status
The case was transferred to the PBI in October 2020 after the CID failed to make any arrests. The current IO, Inspector Tariqul Islam, took charge in September 2024. Following the court appearance, Islam told the media that their activities are ongoing and expressed hope that the forensic matching would lead to a definitive conclusion in the investigation.
