Night-time robberies on the inter-district and city buses at different points on the Dhaka-Aricha highway are going unchecked, causing panic among passengers.
At least three incidents of robbery on the highway have been reported this month, reflecting growing security concerns for the travellers and home-bound people before Eid-ul-Fitr, one of the biggest religious festivals of the Muslims.
The latest incident occurred at about 8:00pm on Monday near Jahangirnagar University at Savar, in which passengers of a moving bus were robbed by armed robbers.
According to witnesses, at least five individuals boarded a Manikganj-bound Shubhojatra Paribahan bus in the Radio Colony area at Savar, posing as passengers.
Soon after, they brandished local weapons and forcibly took away the passengers鈥� mobile phones, cash and other valuables before getting off the bus near the C&B Stand.
As the bus reached the main gate of Jahangirnagar University, students and passengers managed to intercept it.
With the help of university authorities, they handed over the bus driver, his assistant and the conductor to the Ashulia police, suspecting their involvement in the robbery.
鈥榃e believe the driver and his staff members were linked to the robbery,鈥� said one of the passengers, Ahmed Suhail, a JU student.
On February 14, another robbery occurred on a Dhaka-bound Shubhojatra Paribahan bus, leaving at least three passengers injured from stabbing by the robbers.
On March 2, a robbery took place on a Rajdhani Paribahan bus near Bank Town of Savar, in which 20-25 passengers were robbed.
Referring to previous robbery incidents, JU proctor professor AKM Rashidul Alam said, 鈥榃e have identified several zones, including JU, C&B and Radio Colony areas, as robbery-prone.鈥�
He, however, expressed frustration over a low level of surveillance in the areas by law enforcement agencies.
Referring to recent robbery incidents, Savar highway police station officer-in-charge Saugatul Alam told 抖阴精品 that criminals often boarded moving buses posing as passengers and forced drivers to stop in poorly lit areas.
Miscreants sometimes damage CCTV cameras and streetlights to create an environment favourable for robbery, making it challenging to track them, he said.
Additionally, some transport staff members are suspected to be involved in such crimes, Saugatul said.
鈥榃ith limited personnel and patrol vehicles, it is extremely difficult to monitor all robbery incidents on the highway,鈥� he said, emphasising the urgent need for more resources to strengthen highway security.
