A gang of masked robbers have looted houses of three personnel of the Bangladesh Army and the Bangladesh Air Forces (BAF), leaving six persons, including a BAF member, injured on Monday night at Pabnartek of Baunia village of the capital’s Turag police station.
Equipped with firearms, sharp weapons and bombs, the criminals hacked a BAF member and left the area by exploding several crude bombs.
Among the injured, BAF member Liton Khan was admitted to the Dhaka Combined Military Hospital (CMH) at a critical condition.
Police claimed two of the suspected robbers were arrested, but declined to disclose their details.
Masudur Rahman, an office assistant of the National Defence College, said the gang comprising 10 to 12 masked members first stormed the house of Army member Hasmat Ali, breaking through the collapsible gate at around 2:30am.
“They looted Tk25,000 in cash, a camera, a computer, four mobile phones and other valuables by holding all of his family members hostage at gunpoint”, he said, adding: “As the Army man tried to resist the criminals, they hacked him with a kitchen knife.”
He continued as saying, being divided into two groups, the gang later stormed his own house and BAF member Liton Khan, breaking through their doors and tied up all the family members with ropes.
“The robbers looted Tk24,000, gold ornaments, two mobile phones and other valuables by holding all of our family members hostage”, he said.
“When one of our family members cried out for help, the robbers stabbed BAF member Liton Khan indiscriminately and left the area by exploding several crude bombs when the villages had been coming out for help,” he added.
Local people said robbery and theft have become the regular events in the Turag, Bauniya, Uludaha and Tafaliya villages.
Inspector Sheikh Farid, officer-in-charge of Turag police station, said they detained two suspects in connection with the robbery incidents and several teams were on the field for arresting the rest others.
He said three separate cases were filed by the victims.
