Bus passengers robbed on Dhaka-Tangail highway

A group of inter-district highway robbers posing as passengers looted cash and gold ornaments worth around Tk 1 lakh from a bus on Dhaka-Tangail highway on Monday night. Police arrested one member of the gang named Hasan, 27, of Kaliakor in Gazipur.

Quoting bus passengers, police said a Musfi Paribahan highway bus started for Kurigram from Dhaka with 20 to 25 passengers. Near Shreepur area of Gazipur at 8pm, around 10 to 12 robbers boarded the bus, posing as passengers.

Later the gang held the driver, helper and passengers hostage with knives and machetes. Meanwhile some gang members took the steering of the bus and turned it towards Dhaka. They stole five to six mobile phone sets, around Tk 50,000 in cash, and other valuables from passengers. They got off the bus in different areas of the highway from Shreepur to Palli Bidyut area in Ashulia.

Passengers caught Hasan while he was getting off at Palli Bidyut area, and informed police around 9pm, said Javed Masud, inspector (investigation) of Ashulia Police Station.

Masud Rana, a passenger of the vehicle, filed a case with Ashulia Police Station in this regard, said the inspector, adding that they are looking into the matter seriously and trying to arrest the rest of the gang.