Crime is on rise in the country. Dacoity, robbery, terrorism, contract killing, abduction, extortion, drug and human trafficking, fraud and smuggling, among others, are now alarmingly increasing.
The incident of political violence is shockingly increasing ce(DMPntering the ongoing upzila elections. The supporters of ruling party backed candidates and rebel aspirants are frequently taking part in the bloody clashes.
According to a data of Police Headquarters given on its official website, 19 persons were killed and 17 persons were kidnapped under the jurisdictions of Dhaka Metropolitan Police [DMP] in January 2014. Besides, the number of robberies was 19, dacoities 6, burglaries 53 and thefts 183.
In February, the number of murders was 16 and the number of abductions was 18 in the DMP. At the same time, there were 54 incidents of burglaries, 164 thefts, 20 robberies and four dacoities.
Out of country’s five metropolitan cities, the highest 8662 crimes had been committed in the DMP area in 2013. Of the crimes, 270 persons were murdered in the DMP last year while the number of kidnappings was 165, burglaries 534, robberies 241, dacoities 47 and thefts 2196 in Dhaka city at the same time.
In the latest incident, the police on Sunday arrested four members of a posh family, including a mother and her son, raiding a house at city’s Banani on charge of different crimes, such as carjacking, narcotics trading and arms dealing.
“The crime rate is increasing in DMP for various reasons. Especially, the slum residents and floating people are contributing to the crime world. The fugitive criminals often take shelter in this city…. However, we are trying to reduce the crime rate in Dhaka city,” Md Monirul Islam, Joint Commissioner, Detective and Criminal Intelligence Division, DMP, told The New Nation on Monday. Monirul Islam, who is also DMP Spokesperson, said, ” At present, the reason behind increasing murder in Dhaka is domestic violence…It is unpreventable. So far we think, the crime rate in Dhaka is reasonable in comparison with other over populated cities.”
According to statistics provided by NUMBEO, updated in March 2014, the level of crimes in Dhaka is now 78.95% while crimes are increasing in the past 3 years at the rate of 73.68%.
Police Headquarters sources said the Chittagong Metropolitan Police [CMP] ranked second position in all categories of serious crimes where 95 persons were killed and 18 persons were abducted during the aforesaid period. The crime rate, however, was comparatively down sliding at Barisal Metropolitan Police {BMP] where 17 persons were killed and eight people were kidnapped in last year.
On the other hand, out of seven ranges, the crime figure in Dhaka Range area was also terrible where 1303 people were killed and 149 persons were kidnapped in 2013. Besides, the number of dacoities was 147, robberies 175, burglaries 686 and thefts 1555 at that time. Apart from political violence relating to Upzila election, some organized crimes have been committed under the jurisdictions of Dhaka Range in January and February of this year. There are 17 districts under the jurisdictions of Dhaka Range where the rate of all sorts of crimes is also increasing.
On February 23, a group of militants attacked a prison van and hijacked three members of Jamaat-ul-Mujahedeen Bangladesh leaving a policeman dead at Trishal upazila in Mymensingh. Besides, the burglars in a filmy style had tunneled into the vault of Sonali Bank main branch in Kishoreganj district town and took away Tk 16.40 crore on January 25.
“The crime rate in Dhaka Range is rational. So far we think, the rate of murder and abduction is also not alarming at all in comparison with other foreign countries,” Mahfujul Huq Nuruzzaman, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Dhaka Range, said. The DIG also said the recent incidents of terrorist attack at Trishal and Sonali Bank burglary at Kishoreganj do not reflect the downtrend of crimes in Dhaka Range.
