Sleepwalking into crime

He was caught red-handed while trying to dismantle an ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) from a booth of a private bank, and handed to police.

But when police produced Alif Sakin Habib (20) in front of a judge, he claimed that he does not remember the incident at all.

Habib said that in the midnight of October 31, he took several sedatives, as he had sleep issues, and later got out on a ride with his motorcycle from his Matuail residence.

"I can't remember anything else," police quoted him as saying in court. 

However, it was not hard for law enforcers to prove his misdeed, by showing CCTV footage at the court and other evidence like a recovered shovel, two knives, two screwdrivers, and a backpack.

Jahidul Islam Shohag, assistant commissioner of Motijheel zone of Dhaka Metropolitan Police shared the incident with this correspondent yesterday. The Daily Star has also obtained a copy of court documents recording the accused's statement.

Around 5:30am on October 31, Habib entered a Brac Bank ATM booth in the capital's Motijheel, wearing helmet and mask, said police sources.

Habib asked security guard Jashim Uddin for help by saying he is trying to withdraw money using a "foreign card" but was not getting it. When the guard came to help him, he held the guard at knifepoint and tied him up.

Habib stabbed Jashim's neck, snatched his cell phone, and locked him in the server room of the ATM booth by taking away the key.

"He then unscrewed the ATM with screwdriver and shovels, and ripped all connected wires, and pulled out both CCTV cameras," said police.

The security guard shouted for help and people of the area nabbed Habib red-handed.

Shah Abdul Aziz, sub-inspector of Motjheel Police station, said that youth is unemployed. "We are looking into his background, as a youth was also seen on CCTV trying to rob an ATM booth of another bank in the dead of night on October 28," he said.