Horror on highways: Fear widespread as robberies surge

At least five robberies have occurred on highways across the country in a week, with businessmen, expatriates, and even ordinary people falling victim, sparking widespread panic and raising concerns about the effectiveness of law enforcement.

In response, the police said they have already taken preventive measures. They have created a database of robbers involved in such incidents over the last five years. The police will launch a crackdown on robbers in the next day or two and expect the situation to normalise by this week.

In 48 hours since Thursday, Kuwaiti expatriate Naimul and Malaysian expatriate Belal were robbed in Falgunkara, Chauddagram, Cumilla. 

Belal Ahmed, from Dagonbhuiyan, Feni, was targeted on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway early Saturday morning. While travelling home from Dhaka, a pickup van collided with their car in Chauddagram, throwing him off the road. The robbers then broke the car's glass and stole his belongings. 

In the early hours of 27 February, a gang of robbers at the same location attacked and vandalised the car, stealing all the belongings of Kuwaiti expatriate Naimul Islam.

Delwar Hossain, an additional inspector general of the Highway Police, told The Business Standard theft and robbery incidents have increased since 5 August, following the bail of top-listed  criminals. He also mentioned that a group is persistently attempting to destabilise the country.

He said the police have taken several initiatives to curb highway robberies, including adjusting patrol schedules and creating a criminal database, and expressed hope that the situation will improve this week.

"A database of individuals involved in highway robberies over the past five years has been created for swift arrests. We've also revised our patrol schedule, with one team on duty until 6am and another starting at 6pm. Robbers have been exploiting the gaps between shifts, so we've introduced a new bi-rotation schedule starting at 7am," he said. 

"Robbers often target expatriates, so we've decided to launch an app that will allow them to immediately alert highway police if they're in danger, ensuring a safer journey."

RMG industry also comes under robbery attack

In a similar incident, a gang of around 30 robbers broke into the closed Magpie Knitwear Limited factory in the Zirabo area of Ashulia, on the outskirts of the capital, and reportedly stole goods worth several crores of taka. The factory, owned by Magpie Group, has been shut since 5 January of last year.

According to Mohammad Mominul Islam Bhuiyan, superintendent of police (SP) at Industrial Police-1, the robbery occurred between 9pm on Friday and 4am on Saturday, but no call was made to authorities, not even to 999.

Local sources said after looting the factory, the robbers loaded the stolen goods onto a truck and fled the scene around 4am. They were also reported to have robbed a nearby shop during the same time.

Kaiser Ali Khan, general manager (administration) of Magpie Group, said, "The armed gang entered the factory at around 8:20pm. The robbers held the security guards at gunpoint, tying them up before proceeding to loot valuable items from the factory."

"The stolen goods included batteries, UPS systems, cables, air conditioners, motors, computers, and other equipment, all valued at an estimated Tk8-10 crore," he added.

The company, according to Kaiser, is preparing to file a case regarding the incident, though no case had been filed as of 7pm yesterday.

"We are still gathering information, and both local police and the army are involved in the investigation," SP Mominul said. "We arrived at the scene after receiving the news and are currently investigating."

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a number of apparel exporters mentioned that the law and order should be improved, as it is essential for boosting investors' confidence.

Mohammad Hatem, president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said after the political changes following the mass uprising in August last year, the overall law and order has not improved everywhere.

"The law and order has yet to normalise, which is crucial for regaining buyers' confidence," he added.

More incidents of robbery 

In Pabna, some 10 vehicles were reportedly robbed by armed assailants on the Bera-Santhia regional highway in Santhia upazila around 1am on Friday, with reports of five people being injured during the attacks. 

However Deputy Press Secretary to the chief adviser Mohammad Abul Kalam Azad Majumder dismissed media reports of the Pabna incident, claiming they were exaggerated. 

"Some outlets reported 40 vehicles were robbed, while others mentioned ten. Eyewitness accounts in the latter reports indicated only five vehicles were involved," he said during a press briefing at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital.

"We learned that the robbery incident involved a microbus, two trucks, and a motorcycle. The police were informed and arrived at the scene within ten minutes," he said. "The government is always vigilant on how to improve the law and order."

On the night of 21 February, a gang of 10-12 robbers blocked a private car on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway near Mahmudabad Bridge in Raipura. 

They smashed windows of cars and microbuses with hand-made weapons and hockey sticks, held the passengers hostage at gunpoint, and looted Tk95,000 in cash, three mobile phones, and gold ornaments before fleeing.

The police website lacked data on February crimes, but an analysis of January data from the past five years shows 71 robbery cases in January 2025, the highest in five years. In previous years, there were 29 cases in 2024, 27 in 2023, 30 in 2022, 33 in 2021, and 39 in 2020.

Several microbus drivers on the highway reported that robber gangs sometimes stay near the airport or hotels, following expatriate cars. After 4am, when traffic is lighter and police patrols are absent, they take advantage of the situation to carry out robberies.

A microbus driver, speaking anonymously, warned that if the situation does not improve, robberies will increase during Ramadan, urging the police to be more effective given the circumstances.

Recently, along with robberies, incidents of knife attacks and snatching have also risen. On 24 February, robbers shot a gold merchant in front of his house in Banasree, Dhaka, and stole 160 bhori of gold. They also shot a man on the Jatrabari flyover and took his money.

Netizens have expressed concern on social media over the deteriorating law and order situation and are demanding the home adviser's resignation. Businessmen stress that improving security is crucial to boosting investor confidence, warning that the country's garment industry could face serious threats otherwise.