Crimes galore give the lie to police vigil in city

Despite beefed up security measures and enhanced police vigilance, incidents of murder, robbery, extortion, snatching and mugging have increased in the city at an alarming rate, creating a sense of insecurity.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commissioner AKM Shahidul Haque expressed his concern in this regard and asked the police to control the law and order situation with an iron hand. The commissioner also asked the policemen to arrest the killers saying, “If you fail to do so, stern action would be taken.”  
The DMP chief said this while briefing the newsmen at the Rajarbagh Police Line Auditorium after holding a monthly crime preview meeting with high officials of the DMP. All the officers-in-charge (OCs) of the 35 police stations were present at the meeting.
“We are concerned about the criminals and for this reason, the policemen are now conducting raids at the different parts of the city for nabbing them. The incidents of snatching have increased day by day, though the police arrested 50 snatchers per day from different parts of the city,” the commissioner said.
“Despite beefed up security measures and enhanced police vigilance, the professional criminals committing crimes, especially murder and snatching in different parts of the city and that is why the law and order situation could not be controlled,” the DMP boss said.               
Replying to a query about demanding toll over telephone, he said, ” The police are now investigation into the threats issued over telephone. But, in most of the cases, we have found that the criminals do not use the SIMs after issuing threats. The criminals are now committing crimes using improved technology, which is a matter of concern.”
Asked about extortion during constructing buildings, he said, “We have asked the police to rush at the place of occurrences after getting any allegations in this regard. A total of 200 building are now being constructed at Mirpur area but we are yet to get any allegations of extorting money.”
The law enforcing agencies are now on the run, following some recent killings including the murder of Mobarok Ali, father-in-law of Tuba Group owner Delwar Hossain. Professional killers and associates of the top listed criminals gunned down Mobarok at Merul Badda yesterday morning.                 
According to the DMP statistics, a total of 14 people were killed in different parts of the capital city in the last 12 days in this month. Of them, six people were killed for extortion. A total of 67 people were also injured in the criminal attacks in the city, according to the records of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital. 
In April, at least 24 people were murdered and 48 snatching, 29 dacoities, 65 robberies and 10 extortion incidents took place in the city, according to the DMP.
According to DMP’s statistics, the number of murder and robbery has increased over the month of February. The number of murder was 34 in March while it was only 16 in February. The incidents of mugging fell in March when 34 cases were filed while it was 65 in February.
However, the actual number of mugging was much higher as most of the victims did not want to lodge complaints fearing police harassment or to avoid hassles, the sources said adding, in many cases the police recorded theft case instead of robbery or mugging.
Against the backdrop of increasing criminal incidents, especially murder, dacoity, extortion, snatching and mugging, the started conducting a ‘special drive’ in the capital from April 24, with an updated list of 3063 listed criminals. But, the special drive of the DMP has totally failed, as they were able to arrest few of the listed criminals.  
Admitting increase in the incidents of crimes, the city police chief AKM Shahidul Haque said that the police would launch drive against the criminals very soon.
 
Courtesy of The Independent