NN Online:
Three robbers who had attempted a bank heist in the city’s south Keraniganj have surrendered with weapons in hand. The incident unfolded on Thursday around 5:30pm, when the criminals voluntarily handed themselves over to law enforcement authorities after negotiations. No casualties were reported in the event.
It has been reported that the three robbers were persuaded to surrender through negotiations. Following their surrender, law enforcement officers took them into their custody from the scene. The robbers had taken eight to ten people, including the bank manager, hostage inside the bank, but they have since been rescued unharmed. Additionally, the bank’s vault remains secure.
In a RAB-10’s WhatsApp message sent to the media, it was reported that the three robbers had entered Rupali Bank in the Chunkutia area and demanded Tk 1.5 million. The three individuals, armed with firearms, have since surrendered to the joint forces.
Law enforcement officials said they successfully negotiated with robbers to convince them to surrender. The robbers handed over their weapons through a window, with one gun being thrown out, while the remaining firearms were placed in a bag and thrown outside. Later, the robbers came out from the bank, after which law enforcement officers escorted them into a vehicle.
Earlier, around 2pm on Thursday, the robbers entered the bank. When news of the robbery was broadcasted through the loudspeakers of a nearby mosque, several hundred locals surrounded the bank branch and locked the doors from the outside. Following this, police, RAB, fire service, and military teams arrived at the scene and cordoned off the bank.
Meanwhile, after news of the robbery spread, curious onlookers gathered at the scene. For security reasons, traffic on both sides of the main road adjacent to the bank was halted. Announcements urging the robbers to surrender were made through the loudspeakers of a nearby mosque. Following efforts of law enforcement agencies the robbers eventually surrendered by Thursday evening.
