Md Joynal Abedin Khan :
The incidents of hijacking, eve teasing and road crash have become almost a regular phenomenon in the city’s attractive recreational Hatirjheel and its adjacent areas due to lack of a separate police station.
As per the declaration of Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, the inauguration of the 50th Hatirjheel Police Station of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) was scheduled to start its journey in the second week of December last year. But no visual step in connection with the police station is yet to be seen after five months of expiring the dateline.
All link roads and four over bridges skirt Hatirjheel in Modhubag, Beghunbari, Aarong and Mohanagar and the stairs to these bridges are considered as trap of miscreants, victim sources said.
The visitors fear panic to move on the roads and streets at Tejgaon, Gulshan, Modhubagh, Moghbazar, Badda, Ulan and Rampura stretching between Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue and Rampura, they said.
According to victims, some bodies have already been recovered in the project area while the law enforcing agencies in last few years arrested several dozen of members of different criminal gangs.
On the other hand, visitors alleged that committing crimes have turned into a common phenomenon due to lack of combination of a separate police station for the project area.
The victims alleged that the hijackers rob people of their money, phones and jewelry. And it is facilitated by the fact that people frequently avoid the over bridges when they are declared off-limits. The pedestrians who flout the restriction inevitably walk into the trap set by the gangs.
Citing the Home Minister, they said that the delaying of inaugural of ‘Hatijhhel Police Station’ is the key reason of almost the cause of regular committing crimes.
Shumon Uddin, who came to visit Hatirjheel with his family, said: “I came here for fresh air. But now my family members were attacked by rowdy youths.”
Shamsur Rahman, a resident in the capital’s Moghbazar area, said, “Earlier, Hatirjheel was a pace of great attraction, but now safety is very poor.”
Shammi Akter Soma, one of the more recent victims, said: “These thugs usually target couples who sit by themselves on the over bridge. Some of their members first walk past them and intentionally stumble on the target’s leg to start a row. When things begin to heat up, the rest of the gang engages, pretending to be innocent bystanders.
Taslima Nasreen, an RMG worker, echoed a similar experience, she claimed the hijackers are armed with knives for intimidation.
On October 10 in 2017, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said Hatirjheel. Police Station will start its journey within two months to ensure the security of this recreational spot.
He said, “In the past, youths used to ride motorcycles in the joy of their heart, many used to do accidents. But that has been reduced by police efforts. ‘
Brigadier General Abu Sayeed Mohammad Masud, one of the project directors of the scheme, has said they presently deployed eight personnel at four entry points of the scheme after 11:00 at night to prevent reckless driving besides patrol teams for overall security.
While a few traffic policemen manage the entry and exit points, they are not deployed for internal traffic control.
DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia said at the same event, “We are able to reduce the police-walledness in a lot of people. We were able to increase the security of the people.
A Sub-Inspector from the Tejgaon Industrial Area Police Station said the police patrol the area regularly.
A Sub-Inspector of Ramna Police Station said, there are few complaints of mugging in Hatirjheel, but nothing significant. He said the police patrols the area regularly.
Rahmat Ullah, a guard, said, “In both shifts, guards are posted only on the ground. People are restricted from using the over bridges, so no guards are posted above.”
“We ask everyone to not use them. But nobody listens to us. And we do not want to start a fight. Whoever uses the over bridge, does it at their own peril.”
Mentionable, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina opened the Hatirjheel-Begunbari integrated development project on January 2 in 2013. The project area covering 302 acres facilitates connectivity between eastern and western Dhaka.
Since the opening to public, Hatirjheel has drawn huge visitors and become one of the gathering hubs for the city people, especially on the weekend and festivals.
The incidents of hijacking, eve teasing and road crash have become almost a regular phenomenon in the city’s attractive recreational Hatirjheel and its adjacent areas due to lack of a separate police station.
As per the declaration of Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, the inauguration of the 50th Hatirjheel Police Station of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) was scheduled to start its journey in the second week of December last year. But no visual step in connection with the police station is yet to be seen after five months of expiring the dateline.
All link roads and four over bridges skirt Hatirjheel in Modhubag, Beghunbari, Aarong and Mohanagar and the stairs to these bridges are considered as trap of miscreants, victim sources said.
The visitors fear panic to move on the roads and streets at Tejgaon, Gulshan, Modhubagh, Moghbazar, Badda, Ulan and Rampura stretching between Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue and Rampura, they said.
According to victims, some bodies have already been recovered in the project area while the law enforcing agencies in last few years arrested several dozen of members of different criminal gangs.
On the other hand, visitors alleged that committing crimes have turned into a common phenomenon due to lack of combination of a separate police station for the project area.
The victims alleged that the hijackers rob people of their money, phones and jewelry. And it is facilitated by the fact that people frequently avoid the over bridges when they are declared off-limits. The pedestrians who flout the restriction inevitably walk into the trap set by the gangs.
Citing the Home Minister, they said that the delaying of inaugural of ‘Hatijhhel Police Station’ is the key reason of almost the cause of regular committing crimes.
Shumon Uddin, who came to visit Hatirjheel with his family, said: “I came here for fresh air. But now my family members were attacked by rowdy youths.”
Shamsur Rahman, a resident in the capital’s Moghbazar area, said, “Earlier, Hatirjheel was a pace of great attraction, but now safety is very poor.”
Shammi Akter Soma, one of the more recent victims, said: “These thugs usually target couples who sit by themselves on the over bridge. Some of their members first walk past them and intentionally stumble on the target’s leg to start a row. When things begin to heat up, the rest of the gang engages, pretending to be innocent bystanders.
Taslima Nasreen, an RMG worker, echoed a similar experience, she claimed the hijackers are armed with knives for intimidation.
On October 10 in 2017, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said Hatirjheel. Police Station will start its journey within two months to ensure the security of this recreational spot.
He said, “In the past, youths used to ride motorcycles in the joy of their heart, many used to do accidents. But that has been reduced by police efforts. ‘
Brigadier General Abu Sayeed Mohammad Masud, one of the project directors of the scheme, has said they presently deployed eight personnel at four entry points of the scheme after 11:00 at night to prevent reckless driving besides patrol teams for overall security.
While a few traffic policemen manage the entry and exit points, they are not deployed for internal traffic control.
DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia said at the same event, “We are able to reduce the police-walledness in a lot of people. We were able to increase the security of the people.
A Sub-Inspector from the Tejgaon Industrial Area Police Station said the police patrol the area regularly.
A Sub-Inspector of Ramna Police Station said, there are few complaints of mugging in Hatirjheel, but nothing significant. He said the police patrols the area regularly.
Rahmat Ullah, a guard, said, “In both shifts, guards are posted only on the ground. People are restricted from using the over bridges, so no guards are posted above.”
“We ask everyone to not use them. But nobody listens to us. And we do not want to start a fight. Whoever uses the over bridge, does it at their own peril.”
Mentionable, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina opened the Hatirjheel-Begunbari integrated development project on January 2 in 2013. The project area covering 302 acres facilitates connectivity between eastern and western Dhaka.
Since the opening to public, Hatirjheel has drawn huge visitors and become one of the gathering hubs for the city people, especially on the weekend and festivals.
