BANGLADESH

Claiming to have hit upon some vital clues in the journalist duo's killing case, police on Sunday said they will make some important revelations on Monday.

Speaking after a meeting of the committee to co-ordinate simultaneous investigations by several law enforcing agencies into the murder of Meherun Nahar Runi and Sagar Sarowar, DMP deputy commissioner (Tejgaon zone) Imam Hossain said they have made some progress.

"We are trying our best to keep the honourable minister's promise," said the top cop referring to the 48-hour deadline given by the home minister to wrap up the case.

Police chief Hassan Mahmud Khandaker has called a press conference at 1pm on Monday after the expiry of the home minister's time limit. The gruesome killings, progress in the investigations and the law and order situation of the country is likely to be talked about at the conference.

ATN Bangla senior reporter Runi and her husband Golam Mustofa Sarowar, alias Sagar Sarowar, a news editor with Maasranga Television, were murdered in the early hours of Saturday at their rented flat in west Rajabazar in the capital.

Home minister Shahara Khatun had ordered police and other law-enforcing agencies to arrest those responsible within 48 hours while on a visit to the scene of crime.

The minister on Sunday reiterated that the killers will be arrested within the specified time limit.

The house where the journalist duo was murdered comes under Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police station. Detective police, Rapid Action Battalion and Criminal Investigation Department are probing the murders.

When asked about the investigation progress in the past 24-hours, DMP detective police joint comissioner Maruf Hasan told : "[The] investigation is going on and so are attempts to arrest those involved. We hope that we will be able to arrest them shortly and produce them in the court."

Imam Hasan said two teams of detective police, one of CID and two of police are probing the killings. Detective official Maruf is coordinating the investigations.

Stating that there have been a meeting of the coordination committee on Sunday, Imam Hasan said the teams are scheduled to sit at a meeting tonight (Sunday).

Though RAB is investigating the case separately, their activities are also being coordinated, Hasan said. "Everything is being given importance as this is a really sensitive case. Nothing is being left to chance."

Runi's younger brother Nowsher Alam Roman lodged a murder case with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station at 5pm on Sunday, after nearly 36 hours of the incident, against 'unnamed' assailants.

Station's officer in-charge (OC) Zakir Hossain Mollah told that no name or specific number of the assailants was mentioned in the case details.

He said investigation teams have talked to the journalists' families and will do so again, if needed.

A police officer related with the probe team, who cannot be named, told : "The investigation has made great progress. Important information has been found through mobile tracking. Police are investigating to be sure of certain other things."

Meanwhile, RAB and detective police have collected pictures from Dhaka Reporters' Unity and video of the picnic of journalist couple's son Mahin Sarowar Megh's school, and they are being examined, officials said.

The five-year-old son of the duo, who was at home at the time of killing, told police that two people killed his parents whom he had seen earlier at a picnic.