A bKash manager was shot and three sacks containing Tk3 crore were looted after a group of armed robbers intercepted a private car carrying Tk4 crore in Sreepur, Gazipur, on Friday evening.
The incident occurred around 6:15pm in Karnapur on the Sreepur-Gosinga road.
Himel Ahmed, 35, an accounts manager for the Sreepur area, was shot in the right side of his abdomen. Three others travelling with him were also injured when the attackers smashed the car windows and assaulted them with Chinese axes.
Himel, son of Mohammad Jasim of Channapara in Sreepur municipality, was initially taken to Sreepur Upazila Health Complex and later referred to Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital in Gazipur for better treatment.
The other injured were Fahad Hossain, 35, a credit manager in the loan division; Rifat, 30, a supervisor for the Sreepur-Mawna area; and private car driver Lal Mia, 32. They received primary treatment.
Fahad said they had collected Tk4 crore from the bKash distribution branch in Narsingdi and were heading towards Mawna in Sreepur around 4:00-4:30pm.
“When we reached Karnapur around 6:15pm, 10-12 motorcycles carrying two people each surrounded our car and blocked our way,” he said.
“Before we could understand what was happening, they smashed the left-side window and shot Himel. They also broke the driver’s window and my door window before attacking us with Chinese axes,” Fahad said.
The attackers then took three of the four cash sacks kept in the rear of the car and fled towards Sreepur within about two minutes. Each sack contained Tk1 crore, he added.
Rafique, proprietor of Channel Enterprise, which operates bKash’s Mawna and Mymensingh’s Bhaluka areas, said the employees were returning after collecting cash from Narsingdi.
He said the robbers surrounded the car near Karnapur and opened fire to create panic before attacking the employees. They then fled with three sacks of cash.
However, Rafique could not immediately confirm the exact amount looted.
Dr Anik Sarker, a physician at Sreepur Upazila Health Complex, said three people were brought to the hospital around 6:30pm.
“Himel had a deep wound on the right side of his abdomen, which appeared to have been caused by a bullet. As his condition deteriorated, he was referred to the Gazipur medical college hospital,” he said.
Sreepur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Shahinur Alam said police were investigating the incident and had yet to verify the amount of money allegedly looted.
“The victims told us they were carrying bKash money from Narsingdi when the attackers blocked their vehicle with motorcycles, assaulted them and fled with the cash,” he said.
Police visited the scene immediately after receiving the report and launched an operation to identify and arrest those involved and recover the looted money, the OC added.
