The sensational murder of the journalist couple Sagar Sarwar and Meherun Runi has reached its 12th anniversary. The erstwhile home minister boldly claimed that the murderers will be caught within 48 hours but that did not happen even after so many years. As a matter of fact, not getting justice even in the most sensational cases is one prime feature of the regime that has been at the helm for the last 15 years.

Things started from a very early on. Just within a couple of months of the coronation of this regime, Bangladesh observed one of the most harrowing ordeals, a profound tragedy, when scores of army officials were killed in so called BDR mutiny. One can easily understand that such a massacre cannot be done without the planning and support of people in the highest echelons of the power.

The regime set up a special tribunal that ran for years and in the end only the sepoys and fringe members of the BDR were punished. Most of the people felt that the ‘masterminds’ got away and many indicated the participation of the neighbouring country in the mayhem.

Ever since, the judiciary and law-enforcing forces are used for the sake of the ruling party. Even the trial of Awami League’s former minister Kibria was done in a questionable manner. So much so that the son of Kibria openly opposed it and formed a political party against the current regime. We have seen a girl named

Tonu, who was murdered in the cantonment, did not get justice, and in many other such cases justice is denied.

Meanwhile, the law is used vehemently against suppressing any sort of dissent. The activists of BNP and other opposition parties are harassed and faced with a record number of cases. The same forces that are inert against spectacular murder cases are hyper-active against opposition party members.

It is well known that these people are using law as the conduit of their own profit. They extort from the ordinary folks through their judicial and state power. Even the Awami League appointed chief justice was not spared.

Sagor and Runi murder is not an anomaly, but it symbolises this unjust regime.