ROBBERY on highways has recently panicked the passengers headed for outlying areas on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr. In a recent such incident, robbers in the guise of passengers boarded a Manikganj-bound bus at Savar on March 24 and robbed passengers at gun point before they got off near the C&B Stand. Students and passengers managed to stop the bus after it had reached the main gate of Jahangirnagar University and handed over the bus driver, his assistant and the conductor to the Ashulia police, suspecting their involvement in the robbery. Two more incidents of robbery were reported on March 2 and February 14 on the Dhaka-Aricha Highway. Incidents of robbery were also reported from other parts of the country in two to three months. On February 22, a robbers鈥� gang looted valuables from the passengers of a BRTC bus and a microbus at Patnitala, Naogaon. On February 18, another incident of robbery and sexual assault on female passengers on a running bus travelling from Dhaka to Rajshahi caused widespread public outrage.
The law enforcement agencies say that there are some areas which are robbery-prone and that the agencies, with their limited human resources and monitoring capacity, are struggling to ensure the safety and security of the passengers. Moreover, they also suspect the involvement of bus staff in many of the incidents of robbery. Many buses often take regional and feeder roads to avoid the traffic congestion that grips the highways during Eid journeys. The practice is dangerous as feeder or regional roads are often less monitored by law enforcers. Bypassing the main roads for a little convenience can, as law enforcers say, also prove dangerous for motorcyclists. The fear of robbery adds to the various crises that the holidaymakers are already faced with, such as managing tickets at affordable prices, traffic congestion and fear of road accidents. The fear of robbery on highways is not the only worry that Eid holidaymakers are faced with. They are also concerned about the safety of their houses and property in Dhaka. Only a couple of weeks ago, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police asked residents to take measures to ensure the security of their houses and property before leaving the city for Eid holidays, causing anxiety among residents.
The law enforcement agencies need to realise that it is their responsibility to ensure the safety and security of the passengers on roads and the houses and property of the residents. The law enforcement agencies should, therefore, take necessary measures to ensure that passengers do not suffer on the roads and their property remains safe in Dhaka.
