Calling the home minister's latest remarks on the murder of the journalist couple Sagar and Runi “unclear and misleading,” journalist leaders yesterday demanded the government unfold the mystery behind the homicide soon.

At a meeting at the Jatiya Press Club, the leaders also vowed to continue their movement until their demands for uncovering the mystery behind the double murder, stopping torture on journalists, punishing the killers of all murdered journalists and establishing free media were met.

Meanwhile, a Dhaka court yesterday placed two “accused” on an

eight-day remand each in connection with the killing of Sagar and Runi. The Rab had arrested the duo.

Home Minister Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir at a press conference at the secretariat on Tuesday named eight

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suspects in the Rab investigation into the brutal murder. He, however, did not mention the motive behind the crime.

Chaired by Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, president of a faction of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), the meeting hoped that the killers of the couple would be identified soon and the motive for the murder would be revealed, said a release of journalist unions.

Ruhul Amin Gazi, president of the other faction of the BFUJ, general secretaries of both the BFUJ factions Abdul Jalil Bhuiyan and Shwakat Mahmud, Jatiya Press Club president Kamal Uddin Sabuj and general secretary Syed Abdal Ahmad were present in the meeting, among others.

Sagar, news editor at the private TV station Maasranga, and his wife Runi, senior reporter at another TV channel ATN Bangla, were killed in the small hours of February 11 at their rented apartment in the capital's West Rajabazar.

TWO 'ACCUSED' REMANDED Metropolitan Magistrate Keshab Roy Chowdhury granted remand for two accused — Tanvir Rahman and Palash Rudra Pual - in the double murder.

Tanvir is an official at an English medium school in the city, while Palash was a security guard at the journalist couple's residence, said Rab sources.

Md Zafar Ullah, senior ASP in the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), produced the two before the court seeking a 10-day demand for each.

Meanwhile, Tanvir's family said Tanvir had been missing from October 1, after he left home that day. They did not find any trace of him despite contacting the Rab and police repeatedly.

On October 9, they came to know from the home minister's press conference that Tanvir had been arrested on charge of involvement in the journalist couple murder, added the family members.

Five more suspects — Mintu alias Bargira Mintu, Kamrul Hassan Arun, Md Bakul Miah, Rafiqul Islam and Abu Sayeed - have been shown arrested in the Sagar-Runi murder case.

The Rab appealed to the court for placing each of them on 10-day remand.

The court fixed Sunday for hearing the remand prayer in presence of the accused.

Zafar, investigation officer (IO) of the case, in his forwarding report said the information obtained from the two suspects proved that they were involved in the crime. More information about the murder could be gathered if they were interrogated intensively.

So they need to be remanded to know more about the killing and whereabouts of the probable absconding suspects, added the IO.