Bank heists rock hills

It was around 12:30pm. Bandarban's Thanchi Bazar was abuzz with people as it was the weekly haat yesterday.

Out of nowhere, three chander garis (human hauliers) arrived there carrying dozens of armed men clad in tactical gear. There, they joined an armed group that was already in the market area, according to witnesses.

Divided in two groups, the armed men stormed two branches of Sonali Bank and Krishi Bank, located within about 10 feet, near Thanchi High School, brandishing weapons and asking people not to move.

"Kuki Chin was involved in the bank robbery and firearms looting. They also hit police constables, bank guards and ansar members."

— Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal

Inside the banks, some of the gang members started looking for the managers, while others started looting money from the cash counters. Within 20 minutes or so, they made off with around Tk 17 lakh from the two banks, according to officials and customers.

The daring robbery took place less than 16 hours after a similar incident at the Sonali Bank branch in Ruma, also in Bandarban, about 100km from Thanchi. Although no money was reported being looted from that branch, the attackers kidnapped the branch manager, who remains missing since.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF), an armed group in the Hill Tracts, was involved in the robberies.

"Kuki Chin was involved in the bank robbery and firearms looting. They also hit police constables, ansar members and security personnel of the bank," he told journalists at his ministry office in Dhaka yesterday.

More detailed information about the robbers is not yet available, he said.

THE ROBBERIES

The two branches of Sonali and Krishi banks are located at the heart of Thanchi upazila, and both police and BGB have camps within 100 meters of the two banks in Thanchi Bazar. The area is almost always crowded as parking areas for CNG-run autorickshaws, human hauliers and bikes are also located there.

Hai Mong Marma, a teacher at Thanchi Govt Primary School, was inside the Sonali Bank when the robbery happened.

"Some 15 people carrying arms barged into the bank and asked everyone to put their hands up at gunpoint while they emptied the cash counter and stuffed the money in sacks," he said.

Preferring anonymity, another bank customer said the gang swiftly took everyone hostage upon entering the bank. "They confiscated all belongings and locked us in a room before fleeing."

Members of the gang also took position at different points of the bazaar to deal with any possible threat, witnesses said.

They said the area turned empty after the robbers fired shots in the air as customers and traders ran for their life, leaving their shops open.

Aongsing Marma, a local, said the armed men arrived in three vehicles from the south side, namely TNT Para, Chandak and Saizan Bom Para.

The group members who were already in the market area then brandished weapons and asked everyone to keep their mouth shut and close their shops.

After the robbery, they fired shots in the air, creating panic. They left the area in four human hauliers that drove towards TNT Para, Chandak, and Sahjanpara, witnesses said.

Osman Gani, deputy manager of Sonali Bank's Bandarban district, said their branch offices in six upazilas, except for the one in the district headquarters, have been temporarily closed down in the wake of the robbery spree in the hills.

He added that the branches will reopen once normalcy returned.

"We have learned that the group looted Tk 15 lakh from Sonali Bank and Tk 2 lakh from Krishi Bank," said Thanchi Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mohammad Mamun.

The robbers could not break open the vaults, he added.

He said they apprehend that yesterday's robbery was committed by the same group that attacked the Sonali Bank branch in Ruma the previous day.

Bandarban Deputy Commissioner Shah Mujahid Uddin said they are working to rescue the abducted Sonali Bank manager alive and maintain law and order in the area.

"The operation against the group is ongoing, and BGB and police are working there," he added.

Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun said tough actions will be taken against those involved in the robberies.

ROBBERY ATTEMPT IN RUMA

Earlier around 8:30pm on Tuesday, armed men stormed the Ruma Upazila Parishad complex and took 14 weapons, including two light machine guns, of security personnel but failed to take any money from the Sonali Bank branch there, investigators said.

Two teams of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Chattogram and Cox's Bazar went to Ruma yesterday and collected evidence.

They opened the bank vault and found Tk 1.59 crore in it.

Chattogram Zone Special Superintendent of Police Shahnewaz Khaled said no money was looted.

Sources in law enforcement agencies said the gunmen took two light machine guns with 60 bullets, eight rifles with 320 bullets, and four shotguns with 35 cartridges.

Assistant Sub-Inspector Mamunur Rahman and Constable Touhidul Islam were injured when the armed men attacked them to get the machine guns.

Narayan Das, a senior officer at the bank, told The Daily Star that over 100 armed criminals, who were in uniforms and had camouflage face paint, took part in that operation.

"When they entered the area there was a power cut. We could not properly see their faces in the dark," he explained.

Narayan said the attackers went to the mosque and started looking for Nezam Uddin, the branch manager. Under threats at gunpoint, locals identified Nezam.

"As soon as I reached there, the gunmen apprehended me along with a few locals," he said.

Eventually, the gunmen entered the bank with Nezam but failed to get the vault opened, Narayan said, adding that the attackers then vandalised the computers of the bank.

Soon after they left with Nezam, power was restored in the area, he said.

The home minister said the group had snapped the power line before entering the upazila complex.

He added that KNF colluded with militants and arranged the training for the armed groups.

"They had been neutralised through army and Rab operations, but they have been reasserting their strength in different ways recently," he said.