During the Eid-ul-Azha holiday, more than a hundred incidents of theft, robbery, and mugging were reported in the capital, with even a police officer losing his life at the hands of the robbers.
However, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) says it is working to prevent incidents of theft, robbery, or mugging.
According to police sources, hundreds of complaints of theft and robbery were received at 50 police stations in the capital during the four-day Eid holiday.
There was a robbery incident in the Badda area, while a journalist fell victim to a mugging in Rampura. The death of a police constable, who was stabbed by a robber at Farmgate, has left law enforcement officials worried.
Four individuals have been arrested for their involvement in the murder of the policeman, but in other cases, investigators have been unable to identify or apprehend the criminals.
On the first day of the Eid holiday on June 27, a robbery occurred in a three-story house in Madhya Badda. The homeowner, Mir Ishaq Ali, stated: "The intruders entered the house and tied everyone up. They took us hostage at knifepoint and stole Tk11 lakh in cash and 33 pieces of gold jewellery."
He added: "My younger son is an expatriate in Australia. I had collected Tk11 lakh for him with great difficulty. The robbers took away all the money that I had saved over the past eight months."
After he filed a robbery case with Badda police station, the police have initiated an investigation.
Badda police station Officer-in-Charge, Abul Kalam Azad, stated, "We are thoroughly investigating the robbery incident." CCTV footage of the area is being collected to identify the culprits, although no arrests have been made thus far.
Journalist Rana was robbed in the Rampura area while returning home from work on Eid day. He stated that he was stabbed by the robbers while they attempted to snatch his mobile phone.
In another incident, Police Constable Muniruzzaman Talukder, who had come to Dhaka from his village home in Sherpur after the Eid holidays to join his workplace at the Tejgaon traffic department, was attacked by robbers upon reaching the Farmgate area early in the morning. The robbers struck him with sharp weapons, resulting in critical injuries. He was rushed to the hospital but was declared dead by the attending doctor.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Tejgaon Deputy Police Commissioner Golam Sabur mentioned that four individuals have been arrested so far in connection with this incident. He said: "One of the four arrested individuals has confessed to his involvement in the murder, and the names of others involved have also been discovered. An operation is currently underway to apprehend them."
Members of law enforcement agencies note that in many cases, individuals fail to report theft or robbery complaints to the police station, which is why not all incidents come to light. By reporting such incidents to the police station, it becomes easier for law enforcement agencies to apprehend the criminals. They advised filing complaints at the police station to prevent incidents like theft and robbery.
At a program on Saturday, DMP Commissioner Khandker Golam Faruq stated: "Robbers tend to choose nighttime and early morning hours to commit crimes. Keeping this in mind, every policeman has been instructed to take effective measures."
On Sunday, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said: "The killing of policemen and robberies are both undesirable, especially when the capital is empty. I believe such incidents should not have occurred. The DMP commissioner has been directed to investigate whether there were any security lapses, and appropriate action will be taken accordingly."
