At least 25 cattle traders, who came to Chittagong to sell sacrificial cattle from various parts of the country, were mugged by drugging gangs in the port city Saturday night.
After being drugged, the traders were made senseless by the muggers.
The mugging took place at Katgor and Steel mill cattle market under Potenga police station at night in a span of one hour.
All of the victims were taken to Chittagong Medical College Hospital in two phases on Sunday morning, sub-inspector of CMCH police outpost Ponkoj Barua confirmed.
Those who were victims of drugging are from Foridpur, Chapainawabganj and Bogra.
Jogdul, one of the victims, said he came to Chittagong at least eight days ago and anchored in Steel Mill cattle market with 34 sacrificial animals for sale.
‘We used to cook on the roadside and we suspect someone Saturday night poured something into our food which made us drowsy and took away our money,’ he said.
Habibur Rahman from Chapainawabganj, whose Tk 4 lakh earned from selling 14 cattle has been mugged, breaking down in tears said he had borrowed money from the local lenders for cattle trading.
Now, I am in quite darkness as to how I would pay the loan, he exclaimed.
Moksed Ali, who came from Bogra, said they come to Chittagong every year ahead of every Eid-ul-Azha.
‘Though sometimes burglary took place earlier, but we never experienced such mugging never before,’ he added.
The worst victim of the mugging is Humayun Ahamed whose Tk 7 lakh has been mugged.
Rejaul, who took seven unconscious cattle traders to CMCH, said, ‘We took them in hospital at around 3:30am on Sunday from Steel Mill cattle market and the rest of the victim were take to the CMCH in the morning.’
Intern doctors in the medicine department, where the victims were admitted, said that all of them were out of danger.
-With New Age input
