The headline of a report by this daily marking the sixth anniversary of the murder of 17-year-old Tanwir Muhammad Taqi succinctly captured the absurdity of the investigation that ensued in its wake, calling it "a never-ending probe". Six years have passed since the young boy was murdered in Narayanganj, which had moved the conscience of the people, but there has been no notable development in the investigation yet. No charge sheet has been submitted before the court. Nothing at all that could give the bereaved family a sense of closure. Investigative officials have churned out the same elusive response year after year—that "investigation is going on". But the protracted probe into what once seemed like an open-and-shut case, especially after a leaked draft of the probe in 2014 identified 11 individuals including the nephew of a ruling party member, makes one wonder whether the probe has been affected by any extraneous consideration. How long before it is finished and Taqi's murderers are brought to justice?

Taqi's case is not the only unresolved murder case that has haunted us but his is the most notable example in recent years of how the direction of an investigation may change after incriminating evidence linking powerful people are somehow unearthed and brought to the public attention. The protracted investigation of a case where the evidence is clear and the alleged perpetrators are reported to have been identified, casts doubts on the intention of the investigators. Given the sensitivities that surround the case, the authorities should ensure that those in charge of the investigation uphold utmost professionalism and the real culprits are caught. Taqi deserves justice, and nothing less than that will suffice.