Hijackers and muggers have become active in Gazipur's Maona Chowrasta area, known as the industrial area of Gazipur's Sreepur municipality, as people are busy buying clothes and accessories at numerous marketplaces ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.
Several buyers who came to the markets for Eid shopping have lost their mobile phones and valuable goods to the muggers.
The recent development has become a matter of grave concern for traders as well as customers.
Titu Sikder, a trader at the local Yakub Ali Master Tower, said the retail stores in Maona Chowrasta have become crowded with customers ahead of Eid and taking advantage of that opportunity, several hijacker gangs have suddenly become active.
“They are grabbing mobile phones and valuables from the customers,” he said.
Traders of various shopping malls and markets in Maona Chowrasta said muggers had hijacked mobile phones from at least 15 customers in the last few days.
On Friday, locals arrested one of the robbers who tried to hijack a mobile phone from a woman.
During the investigation, the hijacker admitted that he and 10-12 others were involved in robberies in the Maona Chowrasta area.
According to the traders, some influential locals are leading the youth gang. They claimed that women are also involved with this crew.
The members of this ring have taken up a permanent position around the Maona flyover. They often have local weapons on them, which they use to rob people.
However, the police and local administration are not taking any action against them, the traders claimed.
Sometimes police take too much time to respond, said the traders, adding that police ask them to be the plaintiffs in a case against the robbers. To avoid the hassle, many traders lose interest in filing any case against the hijackers.
Local traders and their customers requested the cooperation and intervention of the administration to take measures to prevent these robberies.
Kofil Uddin, a businessman at Mona Chowrasta Malek Master Super Market, said the market committee and law enforcement agencies should conduct a campaign to warn the public and buyers.
“Along with this, actions should be taken so that the hijackers become afraid,” he said.
Advocate Ashraful Islam Ratan, president of Maona Chowrasta Banik Samiti, said even though regular awareness campaigns are conducted through miking to protect customers from the robber gangs, police patrols have not been strengthened in the markets.
Sreepur police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Abul Fazal Md Nasim said the businessmen did not inform him about the robbery situation before. He came to know about the situation through this correspondent.
“Security of the buyers and traders will be ensured by strengthening patrolling in the markets from now on,” he added.
