Crime sees sharp rise in capital
Incidents of various crimes, especially killing and mugging, have recently seen an upward trend in Dhaka, showing a worrying sign of declining law and order situation.
The target killing of Awami League leader Jahidul Islam Tipu on a busy city street has already generated fear among residents. Moreover, 22-year-old college student Samia Afran Prity also fell victim to indiscriminate shooting by the criminal.
Two days later, Dhaka residents witnessed another cruel crime. A woman was hacked to death in front of her children at her home by AC repairers, who took away her valuables from the house, according to police.
In the first three months of this year, at least 34 people were killed in the capital, according to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police data. Last year, 166 people were killed while the number of people killed in 2020 was 219, the data shows.
The murder of dentist Ahmed Mahi Bulbul, who bled to death after being stabbed by muggers in Shewrapara, also added to the fear.
Twenty six mugging cases were recorded in January and February this year, according to DMP data. At least 145 mugging incidents were reported last year and 176 in 2020.
Police said the crime rate was low in 2021 due to the pandemic as most people stayed at home. But such crimes are on the rise with the increase in people's movements.
CRIME ON THE RISE
At least five people were killed in the capital in the last two months and some others came under attack while being mugged.
A vegetable vendor, Mosharraf Hossain (50), was hacked to death by muggers at Jatrabari in the early hours of February 20 as he went out of his home to buy vegetables.
Fish trader Mohir Uddin (50) was beaten and robbed by muggers disguised as Leguna driver and staff. They took away Tk 5,900 from Mohir and threw him from the running vehicle. He later succumbed to his injuries.
In mid March, bdnews24.com senior reporter Kamal Hossain Talukder got injured while muggers attempted to rob him at Bangabandhu Avenue in Gulistan.
Even policemen were not spared from such incidents. On March 23, five policemen were stabbed by a mugger on Bangshal Police Station premises while searching them after a team of police arrested two muggers at Gulistan and took them to the police station on a police van.
A Dhaka University student was stabbed in the first week of March when he attempted to catch muggers who snatched mobile phone from another student, from the university bus near City College.
Though DMP has recently beefed up the night-time security in the city, such crimes have hardly decreased.
The issue came to light after a physician -- who was robbed on a moving bus -- took to social media to share his eight-hour ordeal and lack of cooperation from police, which generated much criticism.
After the incident, DMP conducted some raids and busted a few gangs of robbers and muggers.
AKM Hafiz Akhter, DMP additional commissioner (detectives), said there are risks of surge in mugging during Ramadan and Eid.
Police are instructed to remain alert, he said.
At a recent monthly crime conference, DMP Commissioner Shafiqul Islam directed to provide security while transporting large sums of money like RMG workers' salaries and allowances ahead of Eid. Besides, he also instructed police to make a list of muggers and extortionists.
Omar Faruk, professor of criminology and police science at Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University in Tangail, said financial instability is one of the major reasons for crime.
In any society or state, when there is no balanced distribution of wealth and inequality in income, crime will continue to take place, he added.
"What is happening in our country is that people cannot adjust with their livelihood with the hike in price of daily essentials. Lower and middle income people are bearing the brunt. So, these people are taking the opportunity to commit a crime," he said.
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