Syed Shemul Parvez :
In the wake of the approaching Eid festivities, the nation finds itself grappling with a surge in criminal activities, notably mugging and snatching, which have reached alarming proportions, permeating even the heart of the capital.
While law enforcement agencies have launched concerted efforts to stem this tide, their endeavours often seem futile against the tide of criminality.
Recent reports paint a distressing picture, with a spate of incidents unfolding across the cityscape.
Over the past few days alone, the metropolis witnessed a staggering tally of at least 20 brazen snatching and mugging episodes, leading to the apprehension of over 100 perpetrators.
Despite these intensive crackdowns, the relentless onslaught of criminal acts continues to pose a significant challenge to the authorities.
According to the latest statistics gleaned from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s central database, the capital has been besieged by a litany of crimes in the initial months of 2024.
Among the harrowing figures are 15 recorded murders, 51 instances of snatching and robbery, 17 abductions, and 275 reported thefts, underscoring the pervasive nature of lawlessness that grips the urban landscape.
In a poignant illustration of the indiscriminate reach of such criminality, Wednesday evening bore witness to yet another distressing incident, as Mizanur Rahman, an esteemed Advocate of the Bangladesh Supreme Court, and fell victim to a brazen theft, losing his prized iPhone amidst the bustling thoroughfares of Bokshibazar. .
Mizanur Rahman, sharing his harrowing experience with The New Nation, lamented the pervasive lawlessness plaguing the country’s streets.
Recounting the traumatic moment when his iPhone was snatched as he traversed towards the Dhaka University campus, his frustration was palpable.
“My wife, too, fell prey to such audacious theft not long ago,” he recounted, underscoring the distressing frequency of such crimes unfolding with alarming regularity, even within the very gaze of law enforcement.
Echoing Rahman’s sentiments, Md. Farrukh Ahamed Khosru, a seasoned journalist, recounted his own ordeal of having his mobile phone snatched during his daily commute to the office.
“This isn’t an isolated incident,” he lamented, revealing a pattern of recurrent victimisation within the bustling confines of the capital.
In response to this escalating crisis, Md. Iqbal Hossain, Deputy Commissioner of the Wari Division, pledged proactive measures to stem the tide of criminality.
Assuring swift action, he revealed the initiation of targeted operations aimed at curbing snatching and mugging within the Wari zone.
Highlighting the deployment of specialised motorcycle squads operating around the clock, Hossain emphasised the strategic allocation of resources to identified hotspots, ensuring a robust and dynamic response to emerging threats.
In this regard, when asked, Dr. Tawohidul Haque, Associate Professor and Social Criminologist, University of Dhaka, told The New Nation that marking the Eid as well as other festivals, an organised crime syndicate emerges across the country, including the capital.
Snatching and mugging incidents are also part of such crimes.
Truly speaking, some dishonest members of the police also maintain relations with such criminals and get regular benefits like cash TK from these crime syndicates, which is obviously an impediment to curbing such crime incidents in the city.
Beside, when victims rush to the police stations to file a GD about snatching and mugging incidents, police normally don’t take complaints as snatching or robbery; they rather suggest the victims file as a stolen case; this is also another obstacle to reducing such crime incidents, Dr. Tawohidul said.
Most of the criminal’s gang is connected to powerful party leaders and gets favour to continue such crime in the area, he added.
Earlier, police head quarters said that all necessary measures and instructions have been taken to ensure the safety of common people and the service.
