Joynal Abedin Khan :
Several gangs of muggers are becoming active gradually across the country, specially in the capital city Dhaka, during the month of Ramzan.
As part of the move, a large number of thugs from other districts have also started entering the capital and others big cities, police sources said.
Within a span of five days, at least 12 mugging incidents were committed in the capital, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna, Sylhet, Rangpur, Barisal, Gaibandha and Narail, they said. In capital, a Readymade Garment (RMG) worker was stabbed to death at Sayedabad in the small hours of Tuesday.
The victim Nurul Alam, 24, was waiting for a bus on the road when three muggers stabbed him in his chest and abdomen before snatching away Tk1,600 from his possession, said Abani Sankar Kar, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Jatrabari Police Station.
He said that Nurul hailed from Chittagong’s Fatikchhari area and worked at a garment factory of the Partex Group in Gazipur.
On June 21, muggers snatched away with Tk 4 lakh after shooting a bKash agent in the capital’s Tejgaon area around 11:00pm on Monday.
The victim businessman Md Kajol was admitted to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) in a critical condition, said Inspector Mojammel Haque of DMCH Police Outpost.
Kajol said that three to four men intercepted him when he was on the way to home closing his shop. He was carrying Tk four lakh and some mobile phones in a bag.
Meanwhile, a gang of muggers snatched gold ornaments worth around Tk 6.5 lakh from businessman at Chankharpoor in the afternoon. The victim Manidra Pal was admitted to the DMCH instantly.
At Mohammadpur, muggers looted Tk two lakh from a bKash agent after stabbing him in the city’s Lalmata area on Sunday, said Azizul Islam, OC of Mohammadpur Police Station.
The victim is Raful Islam, 25, is a resident of Dhaka Uddayan area.
In Kamlapur, muggers snatched away Tk six lakhs from a person, firing at him in broad-daylight at Kamlapur area in the capital on Thursday evening, said Hossain Akand Ali, He said that muggers snatched away the amount from one Golam Mostofa, 28.
In Jatrabari, miscreants snatched Tk two lakh tabbing two traders in the capital’s Jatrabari area early Saturday, said Jatrabari thana OC abni sankar
In Chittagong, a gang of armed snatchers took away Tk five lakh from trader Mohammad Musa from in front of the Janata Bank Colonel Hat branch under Pahartali Police Station on June 23 in broad daylight.
In Rangpur, muggers stabbed a businessman and snatched away Tk 46,000 from his possession at Shalban Mistripara under Rangpur Metropolitan area on Friday night, said Sazzad Hossain, ASI of Kotali Police Station.
In Khulna, unidentified muggers snatched Tk 2.5 lakh that was withdrawn from a bank in Khulna for salary payments to employees of Sidlaw Textile Mills in the city on Saturday.
In Sylhet, muggers snatched Tk two lakh from a UK citizen and stabbed him in broad daylight on the Kazi Elias Zindabazar Road, Sylhet city on Tuesday morning. The victim was identified as Sirajul Haque Anam, in habitant of Boroikandi are OC Md Monirul Islam.
In Gaibandha, muggers snatched away Tk 6.5 million from a businessman and his two employees at Jhilparha on the Gobindaganj-Ghorhaghat road in Gaibandha district on Friday night, said Gobindaganj Police Station OC ABM Jahidul Islam.
The victim ceramic trader Kamal Uddin, 48, was returning home with his two employees ‘Ripon’ and ‘Liton’ after collecting Tk 6.5 million on the annual collection day (Halkhata) of his business when they were mugged.
In Rajshahi, a gang of five muggers snatched away a tab, a aptop, mobile phone set and Tk 40,000 in cash from a college teacher near Bhadra mor under Motihar Police Station of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP) on Monday night, said Motihar OC Alamgit Hossain.
In Barisal, snatchers snatched Tk one lakh from a businessman at Natullabad in Barisal city on Sunday night.
In Narail, muggers snatched away Tk 4.25 lakh from an officer of Bangladesh Krishi Bank in Narail Sadar area on Sunday, said OC sheikh Motiar Rahman.
Police also recovered the money on Tuesday afternoon and handed over the bank, said Rahmant Ullah, zonal manager of the bank. AKM Shahidul Hoque, Inspector General of Police (IGP) said that law enforcers have taken necessary steps to arrest the snatchers during Ramzan.
“Several teams of plain cloths are deployed in the capital to guard the citizen,” the IGP said.
