Why have the police failed to put an end to hijacking?

Hijacking has increased in Dhaka, to the extent that it has been happening in broad daylight. It has also become more deadly, with numerous women and children having lost their lives. Despite regular drives and arrests by law enforcement, the perpetrators are unrelenting. On March 8, a security guard was hacked to death while trying to prevent hijackers from stealing a motorcycle from the city’s Tolarbag area. Around the same time, two other security guards were hacked in Mirpur 2, while preventing hijackers from stealing motorcycles. So why is law enforcement failing to put an end to hijacking? Dhaka metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner (media) Masudur Rahman said: “To prevent hijacking, policemen in uniform and plain-clothes patrol throughout Dhaka city. Patrols and check posts have also been increased. Hijackers are routinely getting arrested. Police have zero tolerance towards hijackers.” Concerned sources are saying apart from mugging with firearms, local weapons like daggers and machetes are also used. When asked why there was still no end to hijacking, a DB official said that they have arrested hundreds of hijackers over the last two months. Besides DB, local police have been arresting robbers and fugitives almost every day from different parts of the city. Soon after the muggers are arrested, they get out with bail within a month; therefore it has been difficult to tackle the situation. Police say ‘Tana Party,’ hijackers who use private cars and motorcycles to snatch bags and possessions while driving by, have also become more numerous. It is difficult for police to identify and arrest them at check-posts, because they do not carry weapons. Small localized groups of hijackers are also on the rise, operating separately from the large organized gangs. Sources from the Detective Branch said organized groups of muggers come from Dhaka’s neighbouring Savar, Gazipur, Tongi and Narayanganj areas. They generally operate in the early morning or evenings in groups and return to their areas after committing a crime. Organized gangs also case banks and their surrounding areas to target people carrying large sums of money. They also keep track of mobile banking agents. DB police and Rapid Action Battalion say they patrol selected spots where hijackings regularly occur. These places include railway stations, launch terminals, and quiet streets with no lights. On March 7, six robbers were arrested with locally made weapons found in their possession. The seized weapons include three machetes, two knives, one plus and one steel ‘kirich’ (locally made weapon). They were operating near the airport and surrounding areas including Uttara, Tongi and Jaydebpur, for quite a long time. Also 3 others were arrested from Jatrabari area with machetes and small knives, hijacking pedestrians from the streets.   This article was first published on banglatribune.com