Staff Reporter:

A court in Comilla has granted a three-day remand to Senior Warrant Officer Hafizur Rahman in connection with the murder of college student Sohagi Jahan Tonu, marking the first arrest in the high-profile case nearly ten years after the killing.

Senior Judicial Magistrate Mominul Haque passed the remand order on Thursday afternoon at Comilla Sadar Cognizance Court-1 after the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) produced the accused before the court.

According to court sources, PBI Dhaka investigating officer Tarikul Islam earlier arrested Hafizur Rahman from his residence and subsequently produced him before the Comilla Sadar court seeking custodial interrogation.

The arrest represents the first breakthrough in the long-stalled investigation into the widely discussed case, which has remained unresolved for a decade despite multiple changes in investigating agencies and officers.

During the hearing, the prosecution informed the court that on April 6, the seventh investigating officer of the case sought permission to conduct DNA cross-matching of samples collected from three suspects—Sergeant Zahid, Warrant Officer Hafizur Rahman, and soldier Sahinul Alam—as part of renewed efforts to advance the investigation.

Court officials said the case has so far seen 80 hearing dates, reflecting repeated delays and procedural shifts over the years. The investigation has been handled by seven different investigating officers from four separate law enforcement agencies since the case was filed.

The court proceedings were attended by Tonu’s family members, including her parents and younger brother Rubal Hossain, who were present at the Comilla court during Thursday’s hearing.

Tonu, a student of Comilla Victoria College, was found dead in 2016 inside the premises of the Comilla Cantonment area, sparking nationwide protests and sustained public outcry demanding justice. Despite multiple investigation teams and renewed commitments over the years, the case had remained in limbo until Thursday’s arrest.

Authorities have not yet disclosed further details about the evidence leading to Hafizur Rahman’s arrest, while the investigation remains ongoing under the supervision of the PBI.