Robbery at three Khulna workshops

A gang of robbers looted three metal workshops at Shekhpara Bazar in Khulna city on Friday night, said businesspersons.

The gangsters stormed into the area wearing masks. They also tied two security guards and beat them up, the shop owners quoted the guards as saying.

The criminals left the two guards in a ditch beside Rupsha bridge bypass road, around 8km off the spot, so that they could not inform locals or law enforcers immediately, they said.

Monir Hossain, owner of Metro Iron -- one of the workshops, told The Daily Star that police patrolling the area noticed at around 4am yesterday that the lock of his shop was broken.

Alongside valuables, Tk 65,000 in cash was also taken away from his shop, said Monir.

The total loss incurred due to the robbery could not be estimated by the owners immediately.

Mohammad Hossain Chowdhury, general secretary of Iron Owners Association, said such a robbery was committed in a place where there are two private banks and other offices.

Momotazul Haq, officer-in-charge of Sonadanga Police Station, said they will scrutinise video footage from CCTV cameras set up in the area.

Meanwhile, businesspeople at Shekhpara Bazar demonstrated in the area and blocked KDA Avenue for around three hours yesterday. They withdrew the blockade after police assured them of nabbing the robbers.