Shah Alam Nur :
Incidence of highway robberies has increased alarming across the country. The cries for assistance of passengers and those involved in transportation of goods have gone unheeded for long.
The increase of robberies on highways has made journeys dangerous for the travelers in recent time as the robbers have been freely running on highways taking the lax attitude of highway police.
As reported, several trucks and covered vans laden with cotton, steel and export goods, mainly readymade garments (RMG), have been hijacked by the highway robbers on Dhaka-Chittagong Highway in recent months.
It is alleged that highway police, instead of providing security, apparently play the role of mute spectators.
In spite of several rounds of talks held between the businessmen and the law enforcing agencies about the highways robbery, nothing had happened by way of action.
Rather, criminal activities are ruling the country’s 12,000 km highways, allegedly due to the negligence and failure of the highway police.
Concern sources claimed that the uncooperative attitude of highway police is the main reason behind irregularities and crimes occurring on highways.
Police sources said, there were 85 robbery accidents in last July and on an average everyday three robbery accidents took place.
The robbers have been looting goods-laden vehicles and bus in every week. In some cases, the drivers and other crews are killed.
According to intelligence sources, Dhaka-Chittagong, Dhaka-Sylhet, Dhaka-Aricha, Dhaka-Bogra and Faridpur-Khulna highways have been marked as the highly sensitive zones for criminal activities.
They said more than 300 members of 30 organised highway robber gangs are active across the country. Some drivers, mechanics and helpers are also involved with the gangs.
On August 27, at least 25 bus passengers were injured when a group of robbers attacked them at Burni in Companiganj upazila of Sylhet.
When the Dhaka-bound bus of MR Paribahan reached the area, the robbers threw stones at the bus to stop it and attacked its passengers with bamboo sticks, leaving 25 of them injured. Later, the criminals looted valuables and fled away.
In July, 25 robbery accidents tiik place in Dhaka Metropolitan area, three in Chittagong, 15 in Dhaka Range, 15 Chittagong Range, two in Sylhet Range, nine in Khulna Range, one in Barisal Range, five in Rajshahi Range and three in Rangpur Range.
Businessmen alleged that almost every week frequent robberies take place on goods vehicles on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway. Businessmen are frustrated over repeated hijacking and robbery of vehicles carrying goods that include export items, particularly garments, resulting in loss of buyers’ confidence.
According to Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), more than one hundred incidents of robbery and hijacking of goods-laden trucks took place on the highways across the country every month. People involved in the sector, however, said many of the incidents were not reported.
Even after several requests to the high-ups of the government, such incidents could not be contained, rather increasing gradually in the country, a federation leader, not to be named, said. “If the government does not take immediate action against the robbery, it might give a negative message on country’s law and order situation to our foreign partners.” An official police data showed that 1,155 robberies took place in the country in 2014 while it was 1,021 in 2013 and 964 in 2012.
Humayun Kabir, Deputy Inspector General of highway police, said their agency has only 2,042 personnel in charge of the nation’s 12,000 km highways.
“We also have a limited number of wreckers to remove wrecked vehicles,” he said.
He said despite all shortcomings, we are trying our best to perform our duties properly.
