The government-formed task force may again fail to submit its full-fledged probe report to the High Court in connection with the murders of journalists Sagar Sarwar and Meherun Runi.

The court is scheduled to hear the matter tomorrow.

"We will inform the High Court about all the progress of the investigation into this [Sagar-Runi murder] case. However, there isn't much positive news to share still now," said Md Mustafa Kamal, additional inspector general of police and chief of the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), who is leading the task force.

When asked whether more time would be sought from the HC to complete the investigation, he said, "I can't say that right now. It can only be said after discussions with the government."

Investigation Officer Md Azizul Haque, also an additional superintendent of police at the PBI, declined to provide further details.

Contacted, Additional Attorney General Mohammad Arshadur Rouf said he was not aware of the progress of the investigation.

On April 22, the HC granted the task force an additional six months to complete the investigation and to submit its report.

The bench of Justice Fatema Najib and Justice Sikder Mahmudur Razi passed the order after Rouf sought nine months to complete the probe.

At the time, he informed the court that several officials involved in the investigation had been changed or transferred over the years, delaying progress.

He also said forensic evidence related to the case had been sent to the US and that the task force was awaiting the report, which further delayed the investigation.

The HC fixed October 22 for further hearing.

On September 30 last year, another HC bench led by Justice Farah Mahbub ordered the home ministry to transfer the investigation responsibility from the Rapid Action Battalion and constitute a task force.

The task force was directed to complete the investigation and submit a report to the court within six months. That deadline expired on March 31 this year.

The bench had issued the order in response to a government petition filed on September 29 last year, seeking modification of a previous HC directive from April 18, 2012, which had ordered the inspector general of police to transfer the case from the Detective Branch to Rab.

However, Rab also failed to complete the probe.

On September 14, a Dhaka court issued the 122nd extension for the investigation officer to submit the report after expressing dissatisfaction over the repeated delays.

Sagar Sarwar, news editor of private television channel Maasranga, and his wife, Meherun Runi, senior reporter at ATN Bangla, were murdered in their rented flat in West Rajabazar on February 11, 2012.

Runi's brother filed a murder case with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station the following day, without naming any suspects.