Bus-ted! Passenger's 999 call derails thief's reckless Dhaka dash

In an unusual twist on highway crimes, a passenger's early morning call to the national emergency helpline 999 led to the recovery of a stolen bus—and the arrest of a man whose idea of a road trip ended with a police escort.

Shahidul Islam, 30, of Boalkhali upazila in Chattogram, apparently thought stealing a bus on 6 July and heading for Dhaka under the cover of darkness was a brilliant plan. That is, until one of his unwitting passengers, Sharif Hossain, decided he'd had enough of the wild ride and dialled 999 at around 4:30am on 8 July.

Sharif told the operator the driver was going full Fast & Furious on the Dhaka–Chattogram Highway, putting everyone on board in serious danger. In response, the Highway Police sprang into action. Sub-Inspector Faruk Azam from Kumira Highway Police Station tracked the bus and intercepted it in the Idulpur area of Sitakunda—putting the brakes, quite literally, on Shahidul's not-so-grand getaway.

Things got suspicious quickly when Shahidul failed to produce any documents for the vehicle. Under questioning, he confessed to stealing the bus just two days earlier. According to police, he was casually cruising towards Dhaka—as if joyriding a full-sized passenger vehicle wouldn't draw attention.

The rightful owner of the bus, Bhanu Dey, confirmed to authorities that it had been snatched from in front of his home in Boalkhali. He had already filed a report with Boalkhali Police Station.

Khairul Islam, superintendent of Police (Additional DIG) for the Highway Region in Cumilla, confirmed the arrest. Shahidul has since been handed over to Boalkhali Police, presumably not by bus.

Officer-in-Charge Md Zakir Rabbani of Kumira Highway Police Station said the recovered vehicle is now in police custody—hopefully to stay in its lane from now on.

Let this be a reminder: if you're going to steal a bus, maybe don't fill it with people who can call the cops.