Townspeople of Khulna have been observing increase in crime incidents since the beginning of Ramadan.
Several syndicates are now active to realise extortion from transport workers on different roads and Dhaka-Khulna Highway, city residents said. Moreover, fish traders, pedestrians, and vendors fall prey to snatching every day, much to create anxiety among townspeople.
Rahela Khatun, a resident of Baniakhamar area, said recently she had fell prey a snatching incident. “A gang of four youths took away my mobile phone set and Tk12,00 in cash while I was going to market for shopping.”
General Secretary of Manik Mia Shopping Complex Harun Or Rashid told the Dhaka Tribune that traders had kept bamboos and whistles at every shop to avoid any untoward incident. “We have kept the objects to resist extortionists,” he said.
On July 1, a gang of muggers snatched Tk10,000 from a vegetable trader Azmol Hossain, a resident of Elaipur area of Rupsha upazila, in Khajura bus stand area while he was going to purchase vegetables from a wholesale market in the early hours of the day.
On July 2, snatchers took away Tk6,000 and two mobile phone sets from Jahid Hossain, a resident of Satbaria area and auto rickshaw driver Lablu, a resident of Lalchandrapur area, respectively.
On the same day, when vegetable trader Nizam Uddin was going to Chulkati Bazar to buy vegetables, a gang of muggers numbering eight to nine snatched Tk7,000 and a mobile phone set from him at gun point.
On July 7, snatchers mugged Tk80,000 from a fish trader Shahjahan Sheikh on the Khulna-Mongla Highway in Palbari area. The muggers also inured him severely as he tried to put up resistance against them.
On July 9, betel leaf trader Mahtab Hossain was going to Kopilmuni Bazar. When he reached Gadur intersection, some miscreants waylaid him and took away his betel leaf-laden van assaulting him severely. Recently, a motorcycle has been stolen from Mukti intersection.
Meanwhile, some local hoodlums demanded Tk50,000 from the authorities of Khanjahan Ali Science and Technology University on June. 9. As the authorities refused to give the amount, the miscreants vandalised several rooms’ furniture the following day.
Officer-in-Charge of Katakhali Highway police station Abdul Mannan Fazarji told the Dhaka Tribune that highway police had strengthened their vigilance to check criminal activities on highways.
Officer-in-Charge of Rupsha police station Mohammad Mejbahuddin said additional law enforcers had been deployed in and around the city so that people could do their Eid shopping smoothly.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Khulna Metropolitan Police Muniruzzaman Mithu said additional police had been deployed at key points of the city. He said they were considering to increase number of law enforcers to check criminal activities.
