Robberies in church, houses

Robbers looted valuables from a church and seven houses in Meherpur and Kushtia districts on Monday and the day before.
Burglars swooped on a church and six houses in Gangni and Mujibnagar upazilas of Meherpur on Sunday night and took away valuables at gunpoint, reports our Kushtia correspondent.
Police said, a gang of 12/14 stormed into Jopmala Rani Church in Chougacha area of Gangni upazila at 11:30pm when a kirton (religious song) programme was going on.
The robbers took the devotees hostage at gunpoint, took away the necklace of mother Marry and damaged several religious books.
The robbers also beat up two devotees -- Sufal Mandol, 35, and Joyonto Mandol, 25, and hurriedly fled the scene, said Samir Kumar Biswas, caretaker of the church.
In Mujibnagar, a gang of armed robbers looted valuables from the houses of Abdur Razzak, Mojibul Islam, Ajit Mia, Mokhles, Kawsar and Gayes Uddin at Gopalpur village around 11:00pm.
Hearing the hue and cry, villagers chased the robbers who opened fire, leaving a man injured. However, the gang managed to decamp safely.
In Chuadanga, robbers looted cash, gold ornaments and other valuables worth Tk 5 lakh from a house at Kedernogar village in Alamdanga upazila early Monday, reports a correspondent.
Police and locals said, a gang of 12/13 stormed into the house of one Alfaz Ali, a Malaysia expatriate, at 1:30am and took away Tk 35,000, five tolas of gold ornaments and several mobile sets at gunpoint.