Staff Reporter :
A gang of armed robbers attacked a passenger launch on the Meghna River in Chandpur on Monday and looted cash, mobiles and other valuables from the passengers.
However, passengers caught a member of the gang during the robbery and handed him over to the naval police.
The incident took place at 10 am at MV Shahali-4 passenger launch on the Chandpur-Shariatpur route.
Detained Billal Hossain (35) is a resident of Khurumkhali village in Butter Gao union under Faridpur upazila in Chandpur. He claimed that he currently lives in Narayanganj.
Sources said when the launch reached near the Maddar Bazar area of Rajrajeshwar at 10 am, a group of 17-18 members attacked the launch with two separate speedboats.
At that time, they forcefully took the passengers gold ornaments, bags of money, mobile phones and other things by showing dagger and local weapons and left the place.
But Billal Hossain Khan, a member of the gang group failed to escape the scene. As a result, the passengers caught him after a good beating and informed the police.
Later, members of the river police rushed to the spot and took him to the police station.
Meanwhile, the alleged robber Billal Hossain said he is an employee of the Water Development Board. The robbers abducted him in the morning and brought him with them. He is not a member of the gang.
Akhter Hossain, the owner of the launch, said that the launch left Naria Ghat in Shariatpur for Chandpur around 8 am. After arriving at Maddar Bazar area of Chandpur at 10, a group of 17-18 robbers group attacked the passengers.
Mohammad Kamruzzaman, SP of Chandpur River Police Region, confirmed the matter to the New Nation and said that they are trying to arrest other members of the gang.
“We have already got some names of the group from the arrested one”, SP added.
Earlier on December19, same type of incident was occurred in the same place.
