Jewellers protest robbery, keep shutters down

Jewellery shop owners and workers bring out a procession in Mymensingh town yesterday demanding arrest of the robbers who looted gold ornaments and cash worth Tk 2 crore from a jewellery in the town on Sunday. PHOTO: STAR

Jewllery shop owners yesterday kept their shutters down protesting the Sunday's robbery at M Hossain and Brothers Jewellers at Ganginarpar in the town.
The robbers looted gold ornaments and cash worth Tk two crore from the shop, police said quoting the owners.
Four people, identified as A Kabir, proprietor of the shop and Gadashwar Karmaker, Abu Taleb and Russell, three employees of the shop, were stabbed during the incident.
Abdul Quiyyum, son of A. Kabir lodged a case with Kotwali police station yesterday afternoon.
Protesting the incident, jewellery owners and workers brought out a procession in the district town yesterday noon. During the demonstration, they threw brickbats at police when the law enforcers intercepted the procession at Ganginarpar intersection.
The protesters demanded immediate arrest of the robbers and recovery of the looted gold. They also vowed to go for tougher movement in case the demand goes unheeded.
Chandan Kumar Ghosh, secretary of Bangladesh Jewellers Samity, Mymensingh unit, said three daring robberies took place since February this year but no looted gold was recovered.
Robbers looted Labonya Shilpalaya at Durgabari of the town on September 3. But the ornaments worth TK. 15 lakh are yet to be recovered, he said.
He further said that a gang took away gold ornaments and cash worth Tk. two crore from Alim Jewellers at Imperial Super Market on February 11, exploding several cocktails.
In the last three years, at least seven such robberies were committed in Durgabari and Ganginarpar areas, the heart of the town, Chandan said, adding that cases were lodged every time but no gold was recovered.
Due to frequent robberies, panic has gripped hundreds of people linked to jewellery business in some 250 shops in Mymensingh town, said another leader, demanding proper security measures 'right now' so that the jewellers could continue their business without fear.