Residents of most of the areas in capital face a persistent fear of robbery and snatching, particularly at night, due to a lack of active police presence. Despite ongoing arrests by the police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), these crimes continue to rise.
According to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Suspect Identification and Verification System Database (SIVS), approximately 200 individuals are involved in robberies within the capital. However, the actual number of criminals is believed to be higher, with new faces constantly joining the ranks.
Figures from the police and RAB indicate that over 6,000 people are engaged in crimes like snatching and robbery in Dhaka City. Among them, 1,737 are involved in snatching and 4,461 in robbery.
Police sources reveal that criminals in Dhaka often stop individuals on the streets to rob them at gunpoint, taking money and valuables. Victims have reported that the police are less active in preventing night-time robberies, with inadequate patrols and minimal recovery of stolen items, leading to an increase in such crimes.
On Thursday, in Dhaka's Hazaribagh area, 70 bharis of gold and Tk 400,000 were looted after a gold trader was shot.
Additionally, Milon, a garment worker in the Diabari area of Rupnagar, was hacked to death by unidentified miscreants early Saturday in the Diabari City Colony area of Mirpur, according to police and hospital sources. Sazu Mollah, a private car driver, was stabbed to death in Dhaka's Bijoynagar area on January 21 during a mugging incident where his mobile phone and wallet were stolen. On Wednesday around 2:30 am, a group of 10-12 miscreants snatched mobile phones from passengers on a bus in front of Kurmitola General Hospital. In all three cases, the perpetrators managed to escape.
Experts have suggested increasing visible police presence in high-crime areas, stating that the sense of insecurity will diminish if criminals are apprehended, and the public sees active police patrols.
In separate drives on Saturday, RAB arrested 10 suspected muggers along with sharp weapons from Dhaka's Mohammadpur and Adabor areas.
When questioned about the rise in crimes such as robbery, theft, extortion, and murder post-government change, Home Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said, "I can't deny what you're saying. Robbery and extortion are happening, but those involved are also getting caught. After being released, they are committing these crimes again. This is the truth." He also mentioned that the government is making efforts to reduce such crimes as much as possible.
