Muggers reign in port city again
Local artistes perform dance at a cultural function marking the Pahela Baishakh, the first day of Bengali New Year, at DC Hill on Monday.Photo: STAR
Muggers in Chittagong have made a fearsome comeback in the last few days after letup between October 2007 and February 2008, much to the anguish and anger of the city dwellers. The muggers robbed businessmen, a college student and a journalist in a span of only seven days until Monday. Of the incidents, one was gruesome that shook the entire city and its people in complete horror during the period – the murder of a young madrasa student on April 5 night. What was most appalling for Chittagong people was the fact that the killing took place in Jamal Khan area under Kotwali Police Station where a patrol team of police is always seen and on that night the on-duty cops did virtually nothing to prevent the mugging leading to the murder or chase the killers. “I have lost my beloved brother. I know I won't get him back. But what is most shocking for us to bear with is the total indifference and lack of aptness of the on-duty policemen on that night,” said Enamul Hoque, elder brother of slain madrasa student Ziaul Hoque Jewel. “Should the patrol team act sensibly, the murder of my brother might not be happened,” he said. Witnesses said Jewel was returning his home at Shaheed Saifuddin Khaled Road adjacent to Jamal Khan with a friend named Saadi from Anderkilla after buying some notes. They both were classmates at Darul Ulum Alliya Madrasa at Chandanpura. They got separated at the Jamal Khan Intersection at around 10:30pm. As Jewel approached only few metres, a gang of three muggers on board a CNG auto-rickshaw intercepted him. They snatched his Nokia N73 mobile set. The muggers stabbed Jewel indiscriminately and shot when he tried to resist them. Hearing a hue and cry, Saadi rushed to the scene only to see his friend lying unconscious. Jewel succumbed to his injuries on the way to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH). “I just cann't believe that Jewel would no more be alive in a stroke of few seconds,” Saadi burst into tears while reacting to the murder of his close friend. Police could not arrest any of the killers until filing of this story on Monday afternoon. Ataul Hakim, former president of Chittagong Press Club (CPC), was fortunate enough to be unharmed, albeit he was robbed of cash and kind at broad day light on April 3. A gang of four muggers intercepted his rickshaw while he was returning to his home at Nasirabad from the CPC, in front of a refuelling station near District SP Office at Nasirabad Road at around 1:30pm. “One of the muggers identified himself as top-notch Islami Chhatra Shibir cadre Sajjad Khan and ordered me to give everything I have. Fearing physical attack I instantly gave them my mobile set and Tk 1,000 but they became angry and asked for more. Then I gave them Tk 4,000 more I had in my another pocket,” Hakim said. Hakim said the office of the district police super is just 15 metres off the mugging spot. He said this incident in fact proves how hapless the innocent city dwellers are. Lipi Nath, a student of Chittagong College, was another victim of muggers in the busy college road area on April 5 morning. Two muggers in a motorcycle snatched a Nokia N Series mobile set from her, who was on a rickshaw, and ran away. Many pedestrians and commuters saw the incident but none of them came forward. A gang of four miscreants on March 30 mugged Jewel Rana, a soldier of 24 Infantry Division, at around 8:30pm at Olonkar Intersection under Pahartali Ppolice Station. They took away his mobile set, ID card and Tk 16,000 in cash. The joy of the muggers, however, was short-lived this time as on-duty police reacted promptly and arrested all the four miscreants in less than two hours with the booty. On March 29, businessman Jafar Sadeq came under attack of the muggers at Momin Road in the afternoon. The gang stabbed him before fleeing the scene. The Cittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) in September last year detected 14 ringleaders, including four CNG-run auto-rickshaw drivers, and arrested 12 of them. The actions had brought some relief and sense of security among the city dwellers. But the criminals began to reign in again to rob of the sleep of the city dwellers due to the laxity of the law enforcement agencies these days.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments