Despite ‘Devil Hunt’, crimes continue to surge across Bangladesh
Syed Shemul Parvez :
Crimes such as murders, robberies, muggings, and snatching incidents are escalating at an alarming rate across the country, despite the ongoing “Operation Devil Hunt.”
Recently, a surge in criminal activity involving weapons and firearms has been observed in various regions of the country.
It is alleged that firearms and ammunition looted from numerous police stations, police boxes, and other law enforcement establishments are being used in these crimes.
As a result, the public across the nation is in a state of serious panic over the worsening situation.
On Sunday, actor Azizur Rahman Azad was injured by gunfire during a robbery at his home in the Jirabo area of Ashulia, a suburb of the capital.
Azad confronted the robbers after suspecting their presence in his home early in the morning.
During the scuffle, the robbers shot him, injuring him with three gunshots to his legs. Azad’s wife and mother were also injured in the attack.
Azad’s relative, Topu Khan, reported, “Azad’s leg muscles have been damaged by the gunshots.
He was rushed to the hospital in a bloodied condition early in the morning and is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital in the capital.”
According to neighbours and relatives, two armed robbers attacked Azad’s home at night, vandalising their rooms.
When the family screamed after sensing the robbers’ presence, the miscreants opened fire and fled.
It is believed that two robbers entered the house while others waited outside.
Azad, who made his acting debut in 2016 with Topu Khan’s drama Prakton, has since appeared in more than 200 dramas over the past nine years.
However, police have arrested four people in connection with the robbery and molestation of female passengers on a Dhaka-Rajshahi-bound bus.
The police also claimed that the arrested people have confessed to the charges.
A police press release stated that the robbery took place on a moving bus on the Dhaka-Tangail highway between 1:45 pm and 4 am on February 18. A case of robbery and molestation was filed at Mirzapur Police Station in Tangail district in this incident.
Meanwhile, on Friday night, three regional leaders of the Purba Bangla Communist Party were shot dead in Ramchandrapur village, Shailkupa upazila.
Kalu, a leader of the extremist group Jasad Gonobahini, claimed responsibility for the killings via a WhatsApp statement.
The statement noted that Purba Bangla Communist Party leader Hanif and his two associates were targeted due to their involvement in various crimes such as murder, kidnapping, land encroachment, robbery, and rape.
Other associates of Hanif have been warned to correct their behaviour to avoid a similar fate.
Earlier, on 19 February, a man publicly threatened people with a pistol in a land dispute in Rupganj upazila, Narayanganj.
It was also reported that one person was injured in the pistol fire, and the incident has since gone viral on social media.
A few days ago, a class IV student who went to collect flowers for a tribute at the Shaheed Minar in Rangpur’s Mithapukur was reportedly gang-raped.
The seriously injured child was sent to the one-stop crisis centre at Rangpur Medical College Hospital.
The attack occurred on Friday morning in Mirzapur Rathia village, Mithapukur upazila.
Mithapukur Police Station’s OC Abu Bakkar confirmed that a case had been filed under the Women and Child Abuse Act.
It was learned that the child had gone to collect flowers at the house of surveyor Ruhul Amin around 6 am on Friday.
While collecting flowers in the garden, she was forced into the house and raped.
Some Musolli, who had arrived after the Fajr prayer, heard the child’s cries and rescued her.
Earlier, five youths were arrested on Wednesday for openly attacking a couple with machetes in Uttara, Dhaka.
Additionally, police have arrested three individuals in connection with the robbery and molestation of female passengers on a Dhaka-Rajshahi-bound bus, with the arrested suspects reportedly confessing to the charges.
In response to the growing crime wave, students from various universities staged protests in Dhaka and Chattogram, demanding capital punishment for rapists and urgent government action to tackle the rising incidents of crimes, including muggings and robberies.
Carrying placards and posters, the protesters also called for justice for victims of sexual violence and harsher punishment for perpetrators.
At around 11:00 am, a group of protesters, including students, gathered on Mirpur Road at Asad Gate, blocking one side of the road for three hours.
Meanwhile, students from Jahangirnagar University (JU) held a procession from the university’s central Shaheed Minar and marched through various campus roads before returning to their starting point.