Dhanmondi on edge amid rising robbery, snatching  

While returning to work from some errands, Russel  Ali faced a harrowing robbery near his workplace in Dhanmondi's 8/A Road area on 19 October.

Russel, manager of the foreign exchange company Delta Bureau de Change, was assaulted by four helmeted young men who kicked him to the ground. One attacker fired a shot into the air, while others struggled to seize his bag.

While there were people around, no one came forward for fear of being shot. Despite Russel's efforts, one of the robbers shot again, nearly grazing him and another one snatched his bag. They then escaped on motorcycles.

This incident is one of many in Dhanmondi, one of the key areas in Dhaka experiencing rising criminal activity, particularly in robberies and snatching, despite a recent decline in incidents of theft.

Reflecting on the incident, Russel stated, "I was being followed before the attack. They took my bag and wallet but I managed to save my phone. Now, I am terrified to go out, fearing I will be robbed again."

Following the incident, his employer, Kaiyum Reza, filed a complaint with Dhanmondi Model Police Station as the bag contained Tk50 lakh belonging to the company.

Reza expressed his disappointment with the progress, saying, "We have CCTV footage showing the attackers, but there has been little progress. We are shuttling between different departments like DB and RAB without results."

In response, Investigating Officer Raihan Siddiqui Shamim said, "We are analysing the CCTV footage and pursuing several leads. Hopefully, we will see positive results soon."

Several other robbery incidents have also been reported in Dhanmondi within the past few months.

On 3 September, a student, Riyan Bhuyan, was robbed near Kakoli High School, following which his mother, Tajnur Jahan, filed a complaint at Dhanmondi Police Station. However, the incident was not officially registered as a case.

Similarly, Tasrin Shamima was robbed near Mirpur Road in the Dhanmondi 32 area recently. Both victims have expressed ongoing fear and anxiety following their experiences.

However, despite increased crime rates, police stations are allegedly reluctant to file robbery cases, which further complicates tracking accurate statistics.

Mohammad Talebur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Public Relations and Media), said that the DMP has set up around 150 permanent and mobile checkpoints across the city. Additionally, 300 motorcycle teams and 250 patrol teams are actively monitoring the streets.

"We are taking legal action against individuals involved in various criminal activities, including extortion, tender manipulation and terrorism, some of whom previously operated under political protection," he said.

As authorities work to improve security, many residents continue to express concerns over the ongoing rise in crime and call for more robust police action to address the situation.