Mugging on rise in city

Incidents of mugging increased at an alarming rate in the port city of Chittagong in last one month.

But Chittagong Metropolitan Police failed to arrest most of the criminals during the period.

Mainly, the rickshaw passengers and the pedestrians were target of the muggers, sources said.

Some organised gangs of muggers attacked the rickshaw passengers and the pedestrians at different points in the city including GEC crossing, Sholoshahar area, Almas Cinema Hall, Dampara CNG refuelling station area, Jamal Khan crossing, Chatteswary road, DC Hill area, Momin Road, Station Road, Agrabad and Badamtali area.

Besides, many incidents of mugging remained unreported.

A gang of muggers stabbed photojournalist Sohel Rana of the daily Bhorer Kagoj indiscriminately at War Cemetery area as he refused to give his camera, cell phone and other valuables. He was going to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) for treatment.

Muggers snatched a mobile phone and a vanity bag of Selina Akhter, a first year student of Institute of Forestry and Environmental Science of Chittagong University, near the busy Sholoshahar station on June 24. The muggers numbering four to five who came in a CNG-run autorickshaw, snatched her mobile phone and vanity bag at around 2:30pm when she was waiting for a rickshaw.

Sohel, a rickshaw passenger, was robbed of Tk 4,000 in cash and a mobile phone in front of the Chittagong College gate at around 9.00pm the same day. The muggers also stabbed him as he tried to resist them. He was rushed to CMCH in a critical condition. Sohel was going to his residence at Bahaddarhat during the incident.

"Police were on duty at the Hazi Mohammed Mohsin College playground, few yards from the spot, but did not come to nab the criminals," Sohel said. Muggers took away Tk 60,000 from Faridul Alam, an official of a non-government organisation- Hira, at Pahartali CDA market rail gate on June 22. Faridul was going in a taxi to deposit the money at the head office at Bakalia.

Moreover, muggers stabbed Chandan, a first year student of MES College, and snatched a mobile phone and some money from him while he was travelling by a rickshaw near DC Hill area the same day.

A college teacher was mugged just in front of Khulshi police station on June 19. Tahmina Khanam, associate professor of Government Women's College, came under the attack at around 5.00pm. The snatchers who came in an auto-rickshaw halted her rickshaw and took away her handbag.

Two snatchers were caught by the mob while fleeing after snatching belongings of a rickshaw passenger at Ashkar Dighgirpar area on June 18.

Two other incidents also occurred at Chandanpura and Rahattarpul areas under Bakalia thana the same day. An engineer lost his some valuable transcripts during the mugging at Chandanpura while Sumon, a six-year-old child, sust- ained bullet injuries as the snatchers opened fire at Rahattarpul.

On June 17, armed criminals snatched away Tk 1.70 lakh from the officials of Orion Lab and Infusion at the WASA intersection area.

Bhola Mia, 40, a van driver of a food processing factory, was shot dead by the muggers. The muggers also took away the money he collected from the agents at Kali Hat area under Pahartali thana on June 11.

A top CMP official said that a drive was underway to arrest the criminals and police were put on alert at different points in the city to check mugging.