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Published : 07 Mar 2025, 04:01 AM
A lawyer was driving from Dhaka to Chattogram when terror struck.
Around 3:30am, after crossing Feni on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway, a long crowbar suddenly flew towards the car.
In the blink of an eye, it hit the rear door with a loud noise.
Stunned, he instinctively tried to slow down, but his wife screamed: "Don't stop, drive faster! It's robbers!"
The sudden noise woke their two children in the car, and they began to scream.
Panic and fear set in, and with the surrounding darkness, the lawyer could not stop the car.
About ten minutes later, upon spotting people by the roadside, he finally pulled over.
Examining the damage, he saw that the crowbar had cut deep into the rear section of the car.
It became clear that the robbers had been aiming for the tyres.
The very thought of what could have happened if the crowbar had struck the wheels at over 100kph sent shivers down his spine.
The lawyer later recounted the horrifying Jan 30 incident at an event the following day.
He said if the crowbar had hit the tyres, a fatal accident could have occurred.
The fact that robbers were willing to carry out such a dangerous attack for looting made him shudder.
His wife, upon hearing the sound of the impact, immediately noticed a group of people emerging from the darkness at the roadside, urging him not to stop.
He dares not even think about what could have happened had they stopped.
This was not an isolated incident. In fact, a series of “daring” robberies has turned the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway into a veritable zone of “terror”.
Armed robbers are targeting both money and valuables, with a large portion of the victims being expatriates returning home.
Microbuses as well as smaller cars like sedans are often their targets.
Due to the rise in robberies and muggings on the highway, the lives of passengers and drivers are under threat.
Victims are not only losing their money, but many are also suffering from long-term physical harm after being beaten by robbers.
Recent incidents have become so frequent that one of the officers-in-charge of the Highway Police was removed, highlighting how dire the situation has become for travellers.
According to the people of Cumilla, at night, robbers take over this route, while during the day, the city streets are plagued by "Molom" or "Aggyan” parties, who use sedatives to incapacitate their victims and steal their money and valuables.
Together, they leave people destitute.
Despite the ongoing Operation Devil Hunt and joint forces raids to curb these crimes, looting continues unabated.
In response to the increasing wave of criminal activity, nearly 250 law enforcers have been deployed on the roads on Wednesday.
They will be patrolling the Dhaka-Chattogram, Cumilla-Sylhet, and Cumilla-Noakhali highways, working alongside regular duty personnel to ensure security.
Cumilla Highway Region Police Superintendent Mohammad Khairul Alam said the team will work to bolster highway security for at least the next month, with a focus on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway.
Concerns have been raised by relevant authorities regarding the increasing frequency of robberies and looting incidents.
Although robberies had occurred on the busy Dhaka-Chattogram Highway in the past, these incidents have risen sharply since Aug 5, 2024.
Returning expatriates passing through the airport, businesspeople coming to the capital, drivers, motorcyclists, and local garment workers have become frequent targets of robberies and muggings.
During the day, "Aggyan” party members use different sedatives in the city to incapacitate their victims, stealing their money, jewellery, and valuables.
HAWKERS PROVIDE INFORMATION TO ROBBERS
Police and victims have reported 10 to 12 robbery incidents on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway, particularly in Vaberchar of Munshiganj, Daudkandi, and Chauddagram of Cumilla, between January and March.
Drivers using this route say “expatriates” returning home are the primary target of robbers.
Some of these robberies even occur with the use of fake identities by criminals posing as law enforcers.
In addition, hawkers at different toll plazas and hotels along the highway are reported to aid the robbers by providing information about the vehicles and their passengers.
On Mar 1, around 6:30am, a gang of robbers targeted Belal Hossain, a Malaysian expatriate, in the Falgunkora area of Chauddagram, just 500 metres from the Chauddagram Police Station.
Belal, a resident of Sharifpur village in Feni's Daganbhuiyan Upazila, said a group of robbers in a pickup van intentionally hit their car, forcing it off the road.
Armed with sharp weapons, they stole mobile phones, gold, cash, and all his belongings.
“I had worked hard for this money, returning to the country to spend Eid with my family. The robbers took my gifts for my family, three suitcases filled with presents, mobile phones, and foreign currency,” he said.
Sagar Mia, the owner of the microbus that carried Belal, said expatriate vehicles are often targeted, and hawkers at toll plazas selling water, cucumbers, Chanachur, and jujube frequently provide robbers with information.
"The robbers now mostly use pickup vans or covered vans to make a swift getaway," he added.
On Feb 27, at the same location and in the same manner, Kuwaiti expatriate Naimul Islam fell victim to robbers.
Naimul, a resident of Jorarganj in Chattogram, said his vehicle was attacked and looted by the gang.
On the same day, around 11:30pm, robbers in a pickup van rammed into the motorcycle of a bank official named Md Mohiuddin near the Model Mosque, 300 metres from Cumilla Sadar South Model Police Station.
The attackers took his motorbike, leaving the bank official with both legs broken. He is currently receiving treatment at a private hospital in Cumilla.
Mohiuddin said, “The robbers stopped my motorcycle with their pickup van and launched an attack. I told them to take the bike and let me go, but they didn't listen.
“They beat and hacked me. While I lay injured on the road, another vehicle ran over my legs.”
Mohiuddin’s brother, Shahin Uddin, described the severity of the injury: “Both of his legs are severely damaged.
“One of his toes may no longer function due to the injury, and the trauma caused by the beating and the car running over his leg is overwhelming.”
As the number of robberies continued to rise, a “mass” robbery took place on Friday midnight near Talat, by the Chechania Bridge, on the Pabna-Santhia road in Pabna’s Santhia Upazila.
The robbers took all valuables from passengers.
Just days earlier, reports emerged from Tangail’s Mirzapur, where two women were sexually harassed during a robbery on a Rajshahi-bound bus.
In another incident in the district, robbers targeted four buses carrying students on a picnic.
‘AGGYAN’ PARTY ON THE PROWL
During the day, many people fall victim to the "Aggyan" party and "Molom" party in different streets of Cumilla city.
These fraudsters employ a powerful sedative known as "Scopolamine" often referred to as the "Devil's Breath" to rob people of their belongings.
Police and relevant authorities say these criminals use different chemicals or anaesthetics to render victims unconscious.
They mainly target passengers in auto-rickshaws and battery-run three-wheelers, particularly women and strangers.
Recently, Ariful Islam, a Saudi Arabian expatriate, lost his expensive mobile phone, watch, and cash after falling into the trap of "Devil’s Breath" while travelling from Paduar Bazar to Chawk Bazar in Cumilla city.
The fraudster sedated Ariful, gained access to his bank ATM card password, and withdrew over Tk 150,000.
Later, he was left in a hotel room, which was booked in his name. The victim himself provided this information.
He said, "We have collected the fraudster’s image from CCTV footage, and a general diary has been filed at the police station. However, I am unable to explain how the fraudster got my ATM card password.
“He even left me in the hotel room after booking it in my name. I regained consciousness after about three hours."
After the incident on Feb 17, he was in the hospital for two consecutive days.
"Now I only experience dizziness and lightheadedness," Ariful said.
Earlier, on Jan 14, Nigaar Sultana, a teacher, became a victim of the "Aggyan" party while returning from Kotbari to Thakurpara in Cumilla city.
This elderly woman claimed that her earrings, bangles, and Tk 35,000 in cash were stolen by the fraudsters.
The chemicals used by the "Aggyan" party can damage people's hearts, brains, and respiratory systems.
If not treated immediately, it can have long-term effects, said Helal Ahmed, a cardiologist and medicine specialist at Cumilla Medical College Hospital.
OC WITHDRAWN
Amid the ongoing robberies on the Cumilla section of the Dhaka-Chattogram highway, a Highway Police officer-in-charge, or OC, has been withdrawn.
Additional Inspector General Md Khairul Alam, in charge of the Highway Cumilla Region, said: "Mia Bazar Highway Police Station chief Jasim Uddin has been withdrawn due to his failure to prevent robbery incidents.
“In addition, patrols on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway have been intensified."
Police recently arrested three robbers with weapons while they were preparing for a robbery in Projapati village of Debidwar Upazila.
These suspects have a total of 34 cases against them.
Providing this information, Debidwar Police Station chief Shamsuddin Mohammad Elias said, "Arrestee Jahirul Islam has 19 cases, Shah Alam has eight, and Khalilur Rahman has seven cases related to theft, robbery, and mugging."
RELUCTANCE TO FILE CASES, TRAVELLERS SEEK SECURITY
Over the past five months, victims of robbery and mugging in Cumilla have shown reluctance in filing cases or lodging complaints.
When asked about the number of highway robberies in recent times, Highway Police Superintendent of Cumilla Region Khairul and Additional Superintendent of Police Arafatul Islam said only three robbery cases have been officially registered concerning incidents on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway.
They clarified that only incidents officially reported have been documented as cases.
However, the actual number of robberies and muggings is several times higher than the recorded cases.
Police have no data on incidents where victims have refrained from filing complaints.
Cumilla-based journalist and researcher Abul Kashem Hridoy said, "If highway patrols are not intensified, robbery incidents will continue to rise.
“In addition, those involved in recorded cases must be arrested and brought to justice to set an example.
He continued, "In reality, many victims avoid going to the police station as investigations into robbery and mugging cases often do not progress."
"The CCTV cameras installed on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway, as well as those placed at key locations within Cumilla city, must be reactivated to enhance surveillance.
“This would help curb the activities of robbers and muggers to some extent."
Regarding highway security, Cumilla Deputy Commissioner Md Amirul Kyser said: "Robberies are not possible when police presence is ensured. The Highway Police must take the most proactive role in preventing such incidents.
“The responsibility of ensuring security on the highway falls primarily on them.
He continued, "I can only issue instructions from the district administration to ensure that everyone performs their duties strictly.
“However, police must take the most significant role on the ground."
He also urged preventive and remedial measures to reduce crimes such as robbery, theft, and mugging, while encouraging victims to file cases.
LAW-ENFORCING AGENCIES STEP UP VIGILANCE
With the rise in highway robberies, Highway Police patrols have been intensified.
Security measures have also been heightened ahead of Ramadan and Eid-ul-fitr, with increased presence of the army, Rapid Action Battalion, or RAB, and police personnel on the roads.
Chauddagram Police Station OC Helal said, "We are bringing in additional vehicles and forces from the district office to strengthen the patrol on the highway.
“In addition, the Highway Police are also taking necessary measures.”
Mahmudul Hasan, company commander of RAB-11 CPC-2 Cumilla, said: “Intelligence surveillance has been increased in district and Upazila towns.
“Besides setting up checkpoints, intelligence teams are actively monitoring criminal activities such as robbery and mugging.
“We have already detained four muggers from the Cumilla railway station area.”
Badrul Huda Jenu, president of the legal aid organisation Multi-Party Advocacy Forum in Cumilla, said: “It seems as though everyone is fulfilling their duties irresponsibly! Without ensuring security in public spaces, citizens are being deprived of a fundamental right.
“The administration must guarantee safety on all fronts.”
“At the very least, commercial hubs in the city should be brought under CCTV surveillance. If necessary, daily checkpoints should be set up to search suspicious individuals.”
Alamgir Khan, president of Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik, or SHUJAN, in Cumilla, urged the deputy commissioner, superintendent of police, and other relevant authorities to adopt a zero-tolerance policy towards crime and show sincerity in controlling law and order and ensuring the safety of life and property.
He warned that failure to do so would lead to a further rise in crimes such as theft, robbery, and mugging.
[Writing in English by Sheikh Fariha Bristy]
