Shah Alam Nur :
Incidents of mugging have increased alarmingly in the city and its suburbs in the recent time due to inadequate security measures.
The incidents, in most cases, occur in crowded places like shopping centres and branches of different commercial banks.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) data showed at least 19 cases of mugging were lodged with different police stations in August.
A shop owner named Imran Hossain said that five mugging incidents took place at New Market, Bangla Motor and Shahbag in last 15 days, prompting the owners’ association to intensify its own security measures to stem such offences there.
A gang of criminals shot a youth and hijacked his car in Dhaka’s Bijoy Sarani flyover.
The injured was identified as Asif Abdullah, 22, student of a private university. When he was returning to his Uttara residence from old Dhaka around 4:00am, the criminals attacted him. About three to four carjackers waylaid them with a truck on the Bijoy Sarani flyover. “They were posing as labourers. They shot Asif on the chest and fled with the private car.”
“Activities of snatchers around the city shopping areas have increased alarmingly in recent days, which is a grave concern for the traders and shoppers.” Secretary of Globe Shopping Centre Shop Owners Association Jalal Ahmed said.
He said that the criminals also had a new strategy of hunting bank account holders when they leave the banks after withdrawing money.
A high official of police headquarters said that they had instructed all police officers to take action against the gang.
He said, incidents of mugging, pick pocketing and extortions normally increase ahead of religious festivals like Eid as significant amounts of money are transacted during such occasions.
He said that policemen, both in plainclothes and uniform, were patrolling key points, including shopping zones, to prevent such unexpected incidents.
He also informed that a special team of plainclothes police are trying to arrest muggers who commit the crimes around commercial banks.
