As police are occupied with warding off blockade and hartal-related violence, other criminal activities in Khulna are increasing at an alarming rate, taking advantage of the situation.
A number of criminal activities, from mugging to murder, has been reported throughout Khulna since the nationwide blockade began last month. Police sources said bombs are blasted almost every night in Khulna city’s important areas. Use of illegal weapons have risen too – at least nine firearms and 25 rounds of bullets have been recovered in January.
The latest reported incident was the dismembering of carpenter Murad Hossain Modir, 21, on Saturday. Criminals hacked off an arm and a leg of Murad, allegedly over a dispute between two gangs, said OC Habibur Rahman of Lobonchora police station.
Sources said many of the attacks and murders are related to disputes over drug peddling, establishing dominance over an area, and political reasons.
The situation is causing alarm among the city-dwellers, as police has not been able to make a headway in nabbing the culprits.
Crude bomb attacks are an everyday occurrence now, police sources and locals told the Dhaka Tribune.
The bomb attacks usually start in the evening and are aimed at the important locations around Khulna city, especially places where police are on guard round the clock.
Police claimed to have increased security in the sensitive areas, but they have yet to catch the perpetrators of the bomb blasts.
Md Motaleb Miah, resident of Tutupara area in the city, said: “Crude bombs are blasted frequently in this area and the surrounding areas. But police have not been able to arrest anyone yet. We are concerned about this situation.”
Regular police work hampered
Investigation of regular cases is suffering as police is focusing on hartal and blockade related violence in Khulna city and the district.
Sources said investigation of the recent stealing of Tk23 lakh at the corporate branch of Rupali Bank in the city has been going at a snail’s pace.
“We are occupied with blockade duty, so it is taking longer to solve the Rupali Bank case,” said Sub-Inspector Md Hossain Al Mahbub of Khulna Sadar police station, who is the investigation officer of the case.
“But we are working on the case, and will soon catch the culprit.”
Smugglers have become quite active in Khulna as well. The Chuknagar-Dumuria route, one of the prominent smuggling routes in Khulna, has turned haven for spice and drug smugglers due to lack of police monitoring.
“Police has been busy with blockade and hartal duty, so security has become lax, making it easier for smugglers to bring contraband items using this route,” said Khan Ali Mansoor, chairman of Dumuria upazila parishad.
Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, KMP Commissioner Nibash Chandra Majhi said: “Criminals are taking advantage of the situation as police is more focused on the ongoing political unrest. But police is working to ward off all kinds of criminal activities. Except for a few separate events, there has been no major criminal acts yet.”
Local lawmaker and Khulna metropolitan Awami League’s General Secretary Mizanur Rahman Mizan said: “The administration is working to indentify the criminals and bring them to book. Police should prepare an area-based list of criminals and immediately conduct drives to catch the culprits.”
