Following the incident in Banashree where a gold businessman was shot and robbed of jewelry, a nationwide crackdown by law enforcement agencies has been underway. Despite the intensification of operations, no arrests have been made yet, and the stolen gold jewelry has not been recovered.
Meanwhile, the Police Headquarters has issued special directives to apprehend robbers, snatchers, and thieves across the country. However, incidents of snatching, robbery, and theft continue to occur. On Tuesday morning, four buses carrying students on an educational trip were robbed in Ghatail, Tangail. Several other incidents of snatching and robbery have also been reported in various locations.
In response to this situation, police stations, detective (DB) police, the army, RAB, and specialized police units have joined forces in the crackdown. In the past 24 hours, 678 individuals have been arrested nationwide during Operation Devil Hunt. The police have reported the arrest of 29 robbers, 28 active snatchers, 6 extortionists, and 10 thieves in different areas of the capital.
In the last two days, joint forces have arrested 51 individuals, including members of juvenile gangs, during operations in various parts of the capital, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) department.
Along with the law enforcement crackdown, local residents have begun organizing resistance against snatching and robbery rings in different areas. In the process, incidents of public lynching have occurred in Mohammadpur, Uttara, and other areas of the capital. On Tuesday night, a young man was killed in a beating in Tongi, Gazipur, suspected of being a snatcher. That same night, two individuals were publicly beaten and hung upside down from a pedestrian bridge in the Uttara West police station area on charges of snatching. They are currently undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Social media platforms have been rife with criticism about the deteriorating law and order situation since the beginning of this month. The issue came into focus after a robbery and molestation incident on a bus traveling from Dhaka to Rajshahi on February 17. Within a week of this incident, several videos and news reports of snatching and robbery spread across social media, culminating in the robbery and shooting of a businessman in Banashree on Sunday night.
The video of the Banashree incident sparked intense public outcry, leading to demands for the resignation of the Home Minister. In response, the crackdown was initiated the following day. In just the last 24 hours, 500 patrol teams have been deployed in 50 police stations across the capital, according to Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).
Muhammad Talebur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner of Media and Public Relations at DMP, told Prothom Alo that along with increasing checkposts and patrols, intelligence operations have also been intensified, with particular focus on suppressing crimes like snatching and robbery.
Although the intensified crackdown has provided some relief to the public, it has also stirred anxiety and anger. On Wednesday at 11:30 AM, gold traders protested by blocking the road, demanding the arrest of those responsible for attacking Anwar Hossain, the owner of a jewelry shop in Banashree.
Liberty News’ crime correspondent states that Mohammad Yakub, president of the jewelry shop owners’ association in Khilgaon, Sabujbagh, Rampura, and Shahjahanpur, stated that the police had failed to arrest the attackers, and jewelry traders continue to feel unsafe.
LND/BG
