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April
11, 2000
Dhaka,
Apr 10 (UNB) – In a commando-style raid armed hoodlums looted over
Tk 15 lakh in broad daylight today from a trading center in Fatulla
thana that is owned by an upstart ruling party MP.
Local
traders shuttered their shops and blocked road traffic in instant
protest against the robbery at Madina Traders, a wholesale
cement-trading center in Munshikhola area in Fatulla under Narayanganj
district.
Police
and witnesses said a gang of masked gunmen stormed the business house
at about 1pm and snatched Tk 15.35 lakh
from the cash at gunpoint.
During
the swoop, Mizan, an employee, was in the cash box of the Madina
Traders the owner of which is Haji Selim MP of Dhaka.
“The
masked marauders blasted several bombs to scare off people in the area
and made their safe way out,” says a spot account of the reign of
terror.
Haji
Selim told UNB that several Ansar guards who were guarding a land near
his shop saw all the armed hoodlums, “but they didn’t try to
resist them”.
The
business-tycoon-turned lawmaker of old Dhaka also alleged that a local
chairman led the gang in the robbery. He, Selim said, reportedly has
link with two officers-in-charge of police.
Haji
Selim, who wields immense might in his area but fell victim to
terrorists, alleged that a series of dacoities had been committed in
the area in last one weak but police could not arrest any of the
criminals.
In
an instant protest of the daring dacoity, shopkeepers of Munshikhola
area closed their shops, brought out a procession chanting slogans
against “police failure”.
The
protestors also demanded immediate transfer of the OC of Fatulla and
Shyampur in Dhaka.
Another
banditry, in which a police officer was shot, occurred on the
North-South Road in the old part of the capital today, leading to
hour-long strike in the area in instant protest.
Locals
and police sources said a gang of snatchers snatched a briefcase of
Haji Zahir, a businessman of the area, while boarding his private car.
Haji
Sahib gave his briefcase to his office assistant, Abdullah, while
stepping into the car when the terrorists swooped and clutched the bag
from Abdulah’s hand “creating a reign of terror blasting bombs and
firing guns”.
Seeing
the incident, ASI Shamsul Haq tried to resist them, but only to
receive a bullet. He also reportedly lost his wireless set in the
attack.
“Indiscriminate
gunfire and bomb explosions spread panic over the area and frightened
people shuttered their shops,” police and locals said giving an
eyewitness account.
Police
could not arrest any of the terrorists. Angry locals put barricades on
the roads disrupting movement of vehicles in the busy area for about
two hours.
Ironically,
police sources said, the briefcase was empty while the snatchers
thought that it was stuffed with money.
Later,
huge police rushed to the trouble spot and took the situation under
control after an hour’s effort.
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