Staff Reporter :
Tensions have significantly risen in the hill areas and other parts of the country after a series of alleged bank robberies in Bandarban, with the most notable incident involving the militant group Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF).
KNF members targeted the Sonali Bank branch in Ruma, Bandarban, looting approximately Tk 1.5 crore on Tuesday night.
The robbery occurred during Taraweeh prayers, with the robbers also seizing 14 weapons from Ansar members guarding the bank and abducting the bank manager, Nizam Uddin, from the mosque on the bank premises.
Earlier, on Tuesday, KNF members were spotted arriving in the Hathimatha Para area of the upazila on motorcycles.
Dividing into groups, they targeted the bank, mosque, and the upazila officer’s quarters, managing to loot an estimated 1.5 to 2 crore taka from the bank vault.
An eyewitness, preferring anonymity, recounted that the militants abducted the Sonali Bank Ruma Upazila manager and also took hostage the upazila engineer, Md. Saiful Islam, from the officers’ quarters. Muhammad Shahjahan, Officer-in-Charge of Ruma Police Station, confirmed the robbery and abduction, noting that law enforcement and army personnel were present in the area.
Sonali Bank Bandarban District Branch Manager, Rajan Kanti Das, acknowledged awareness of the incident but reported difficulties in contacting the bank manager. Contradictorily, Md. Shah Newaz Khaled, additional DIG of the CID branch for the Chattogram region, claimed that the robbers failed to steal any money from the Ruma branch vault, a statement made around 3:00pm on Wednesday.
Adding to the unrest, armed robbers attacked two more banks in Thanchi Upazila, sixteen hours after the Ruma incident. The attacks occurred around 12:00pm on Wednesday (April 3), involving a gang of 20-25 members who locked bank employees and customers in a room before fleeing with an undetermined amount of money.
Moreover, an agent bank branch of Islami Bank Ltd at Alauddin Nagar in Kumarkhali, Kushtia, was also victim to robbery, with thieves stealing Tk 527,668. The robbery was discovered Wednesday morning, confirmed by Akibul Islam, Officer-in-Charge of Kumarkhali Police Station.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal indicated that these robberies marked the presence of the militant group Kuki Chin in the region, speaking to journalists on Wednesday.
As a security precaution, Sonali Bank has suspended operations in all its branches across six upazilas in Bandarban, confirmed by Assistant General Manager Osman Gani.
Adding to the unrest, armed robbers attacked two more banks in Thanchi Upazila, sixteen hours after the Ruma incident. The attacks occurred around 12:00pm on Wednesday (April 3), involving a gang of 20-25 members who locked bank employees and customers in a room before fleeing with an undetermined amount of money.
Moreover, an agent bank branch of Islami Bank Ltd at Alauddin Nagar in Kumarkhali, Kushtia, was also victim to robbery, with thieves stealing Tk 527,668. The robbery was discovered Wednesday morning, confirmed by Akibul Islam, Officer-in-Charge of Kumarkhali Police Station.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal indicated that these robberies marked the presence of the militant group Kuki Chin in the region, speaking to journalists on Wednesday.
As a security precaution, Sonali Bank has suspended operations in all its branches across six upazilas in Bandarban, confirmed by Assistant General Manager Osman Gani.
