Three gruesome murders were enough to evoke chilling reminders of criminal activities, thanks largely to the inaction or inept security measures of the Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP).

The conscious people believe that an indiscreet decision by the authorities concerned coupled with hasty action to evict slum dwellers or hawkers at major metropolis and elsewhere, including Chittagong, helped aggravate the criminal activities to a great extent.

At least 40 spots in the port city are vulnerable to mugging and other crimes and 15 to 20 gangs of criminals are behind this.

Kotwali area topped the list of the crime spots followed by Love Lane Intersection near DC Hill, Nandankanan, Naval Avenue near Chittagong Stadium, the road in front of Chittagong Club and Engineers Institute, Chittagong College Road, Gani Bakery area, Wasa Intersection, Jamiatul Falah Mosque area, CDA Avenue, GEC Intersection, Pahartali Eye Hospital area, Gole Pahar, Mehdibag, Katapahar, Bahaddarhat Bus Terminal, AK Khan Gate, Bayezid Bostami area, Sholoshahar Gate No-2, Muradpur Mazar area, Katalganj, Dev Pahar, Badsha Miah Road near War Cemetery, MM Ali Road near Shilpakala Academy, Tiger Pass, Agrabad Access Road, Cement Crossing, Enayet Bazar, Railway Station and EPZ area.

Besides three murders in April and May, over 30 incidents of mugging and around 10 robberies took place in the CMP areas with many incidents across the nook and cranny of the city remained unreported.

Most of the crimes were perpetuated by using CNG auto-rickshaw. The criminals carried their activities in the guise of co-passengers and sometimes applying balm in the eyes of the victims.

Abdus Sobhan alias Rony, a former student leader and supervisor of a garments factory, fell victim to a gruesome murder on May 28 on his way back to home. A gang of five muggers intercepted Rony at Shahid Saifuddin Khaled Road while he was going in a rickshaw. The muggers stabbed him repeatedly as he tried to resist them and looted his mobile, money and other valuables. While fleeing in a CNG auto-rickshaw, the criminals cut the artery of Rony, leaving him in a pool of blood. Locals rushed him to the Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) where he succumbed to his injuries.

The robbers strangled a housewife named Tocky Mitra at Jalilganj in Patharghata on May 22 before taking away Tk 10,000 and 20 tolas of gold ornaments.

On April 13, grocery shop owner Babul Mazumder was stabbed to death by the criminals while he was returning home from Pahartali. A gang of four stopped his CNG auto-rickshaw, get in quickly and looted every thing before stabbing him indiscriminately. The on-duty doctors of CMCH declared him dead after half an hour.

Sources in police said the incidents of mugging and other crimes might have risen in the port city due to eviction of footpath hawkers and slum dwellers.

Finding no alternative to livelihood, they get engaged in such crimes in total desperation, they said.

CMP authorities at a meeting with journalists recently said 30 incidents of crime in the port city take place through CNG auto-rickshaw and a section of the drivers have link with the gangs.

Assistant Commissioner (detective branch) Ashiqul Islam Bhuiyan said they have engaged round-the-clock patrol teams at 28 key and vulnerable points in the port city and the vigilance will be increased to check the crimes.