Don’t Let Highway Robbery Cripple Our Daily Lives

Highway robbery is no longer just a matter of stolen money or belongings; it has become a growing concern for anyone who depends on roads for work, business or family visits. According to Police Headquarters data, 131 of the 154 robbery cases recorded nationwide in August took place on roads. In other words, more than 85 per cent of reported robberies occurred on routes people use every day. We find this deeply concerning because travelling should not mean putting personal safety at risk. When criminals can stop vehicles and rob passengers, the fear extends beyond individual victims and affects the confidence with which others go about their daily lives.

What makes the situation more alarming is that most of the examined road robberies occurred at night. Of the 131 cases, 96 took place between midnight and dawn, when fewer vehicles may be on the road and immediate help can be harder to find. Police have also identified at least 15 vulnerable locations along the Dhaka-Chattogram highway. Criminals reportedly use iron pipes, bricks and makeshift barricades to force vehicles to slow down before attacking passengers. Recent incidents on the Eidgaon-Cox’s Bazar road and the Sreepur-Gosinga road in Gazipur show that the threat is not confined to one route. In Gazipur, robbers reportedly robbed Tk 3 crore from a bKash distributor. These incidents raise an obvious question: if criminals repeatedly target roads and police have identified vulnerable locations, why do travellers remain exposed to such risks?

The answer matters because the consequences reach far beyond the immediate loss. Victims may lose their savings, suffer physical harm or struggle to overcome the fear of being attacked again. Businesses also face financial risks when criminals target money in transit. Meanwhile, people who fear travelling at night may have to change their plans or spend more time and money reaching their destinations. Repeated attacks can also weaken public confidence in law enforcement. This concern becomes greater when nationwide police statistics appear to differ from Highway Police records. Unless the authorities maintain reliable data and share information effectively, they will struggle to identify the full extent of the threat and assess whether their security measures are working.

Against this backdrop, we believe the authorities must prioritise prevention. Police should increase patrols during high-risk hours, maintain checkpoints at vulnerable locations and strengthen surveillance on targeted routes. Meanwhile, district police and Highway Police must share intelligence to identify gangs operating across jurisdictions. The directive to investigate links between robbery gangs and examine suspects’ involvement in multiple cases is welcome. However, arrests alone cannot guarantee safer roads. Investigations must lead to effective prosecution, and regular assessments should establish whether security measures reduce robberies.

Ultimately, we expect the government to ensure that people can travel without fear and businesses can operate without the threat of roadside attacks. This requires sustained policing, effective co-ordination and accountability for results. Authorities must demonstrate that their efforts are making a tangible difference by bringing down the number of robberies and protecting the public’s confidence in road travel.