Despite repeated changes in the investigation agency and investigation officer, the mystery of the much-discussed Sohagi Jahan Tonu murder has not been solved though 9 years have passed.

Tonu was a student of the history department of Cumilla Victoria Government College and a theater worker.  The police recovered her body from a forest in Cumilla Cantonment on March 20, 2016.

The next day, her father, Yar Hossain, an office assistant of the Cantonment Board, filed a murder case against unknown accused at the Kotwali Model Police Station in this connection.

However, the cause of her death was not ‘mentioned’ in the autopsy report conducted in two phases. Therefore, Tonu’s family has expressed anger over the fear that the mystery of her death will not be revealed in the investigation of the case and that justice will not be served.

Meanwhile, an official of the investigation agency PBI in the case said that the investigation of the case is being carried out with seriousness.

Tonu’s family alleged that after Tonu’s body was recovered from a forest in Cumilla Cantonment, the first autopsy did not reveal the cause of death, so the body was exhumed from the grave and a second autopsy was performed on March 30. This too failed to determine the cause of death.

Although the issue of Tonu being raped and killed was discussed, the absence of it in the autopsy report led to widespread criticism across the country.

Tonu’s father Yaar Hossain told the daily sun, “My daughter was healthy. So how did she die? Who took her to the forest on the night of the incident?”  Initially, it was said that the clothes worn by Tonu and the DNA of some suspects would be collected, but we still do not know the results.

He said that the then Superintendent of Police of CID, Abdul Kahar Akand, came to the Cumilla SP office to supervise the investigation of the case. We also went to the CID headquarters and gave testimony to several people, but we did not get any results. The CID dropped the case and handed it over to the PBI. They (PBI) have left the case as it was and given the responsibility to a new officer. I don’t know if I will get justice for the murder of my daughter.

Those involved in the investigation said that the case was first investigated by the police station, the district detective branch (DB), and then the police’s criminal investigation department (CID) from April 1, 2016. The latest case was transferred from the Cumilla CID to the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) in Dhaka in November 2020. The last person to be charged with the investigation after August 5 last year was the inspector of the PBI Dhaka office, Md Tariqul Islam. He has not visited the scene of the incident in the last 6 months.

Recalling her daughter, Tonu’s mother Anwara said, “During Ramadan, my daughter (Tonu) used to prepare iftar and organize sehri. I only think of her day and night. I am shedding tears, all murders are being tried in the country, but we have not got justice for our Tonu. Allah knows who killed my Tonu, if we don’t get justice in this world, we will get it in the afterlife.”

Tonu’s younger brother Anwar Hossain Robel said, “I am currently working as an electrician in the Cantonment Board on a temporary basis.”  “My father, Yar Hossain, retired from the same office in January.” He added.

Rubel again said, the new investigation officer called my father once after taking charge. There was no further contact after that. A milad will be organized at the cantonment house on the anniversary of Apu’s death. Some food will be provided at the orphanage.

The new investigation officer in the case, Inspector of the PBI Dhaka head office, Md Tariqul Islam, told that he was given the responsibility of investigating the case after the government fell on August 5 last year.

In response to a question about the progress of the investigation or whether a DNA report has been received, the officer said, the case is being investigated seriously, nothing more can be said at this time.