A year of Tonu murder

We find it is unacceptable that even a year after the murder of Sohagi Jahan Tonu the investigators are clueless as to under what circumstances this bright young woman had to meet such a tragic end, and who the murderers are. We find it befuddling that this has happened despite DNA test results and a change of the investigation officer of the case more than twice. As though it were not enough, Tonu's mother has recently told a Bangla daily that the concerned official has instructed her not to talk to the media about her daughter's murder. This behaviour is deplorable to say the least and it smacks of a wilful attempt to protect the perpetrators of this horrible crime.

Tonu's murder has stirred the nation for many reasons. While it had cut short a life at its prime, the place in which her murder occurred was supposed to be one of the most well-protected areas in the country. If such a fate can befall a girl within the boundary of a cantonment, we wonder how dangerous can it be for a woman to live in other places? Also, if a much-highlighted case such as Tonu's runs the risk of going cold, we shudder to contemplate the fate of the less publicised rapes and murders.

It is high time that the authorities understood that failure to bring to justice the perpetrators of this heinous crime will corrode the justice dispensation system, rendering irreversible damage to the notion of rule of law. We demand a proper and expeditious investigation into the case. We want to believe that Tonu will get justice, and that the law is not biased towards the rich and powerful. Please do not prove us wrong.