Sunday, February 23, 2025

Brutal hijack on highway

Criminals kill one, injure two to take away rod-laden truck; mills, transport owners concerned at rise in such crimes
A truck helper was killed and his two colleagues were injured as carjackers threw them from a running truck in the capital’s Agargaon area, after hijacking the rod-laden truck from Savar yesterday.
A gang waylaid the Kushtia-bound truck at Hemayetpur on the outskirts of the capital around 5:30am, said Abdul Latif, officer-in-charge of Kafrul Police Station.
As soon as driver Abu Sayeed pulled up the truck, the criminals got on it and tied Sayeed and his two assistants with ropes, he said.
The robbers then drove of with the truck, which was carrying about 20 tonnes of iron rods worth about Tk 14 lakh, towards the capital.
The three were thrown into the compound of the Old Airport in the capital from where the police recovered them.
The dead is Nazrul Islam, 35, of Islamnagar under Meherpur Sadar upazila. The other injured are Sayeed, 45, and his other helper Rajab Ali, 25.
Sayeed and Rajab said the criminals tied their hands and legs, blindfolded them with napkins and wrapped them with the thick cover of the truck.
“They snatched our cell phones [three] and Tk 13,000 from us. They also strangulated us with rope to kill us,” said Sayeed, adding, “The criminals threw us into the
Old Airport thinking that we were dead.”
Narrating the carjacking, the driver said, “It was 5:34am. I slowed down my truck to let a bus pass by at Hemayetpur. The bus sped away, but in the meantime a truck
overtook me and suddenly stopped obstructing my way.
“Within a moment, 12 to 15 men got down from the truck. They then got on our truck and swooped on us and took control over my truck before we could understand
anything.”
He said they begged for their lives but the hijackers took them on their truck.
Sayeed added they were thrown off the truck about half an hour later. After freeing himself, he jumped over the Old Airport wall and found a police van patrolling.
Police then took them to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where doctors declared Nazrul dead.
According to police record, 70 incidents of robbery on bus and truck happened in and around the capital last year.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Auto Re-Rolling and Steel Mills Association leaders yesterday expressed deep concern over the growing trend of such incidents.
Talking to The Daily Star, Abul Kashem Majumder, secretary general of the association, said incidents of hijacking of trucks loaded with rods or other goods are
increasing day by day.
“Owners and traders reported to me at least 22 such incidents in the last six months in and around the capital,” Kashem said and added, “Criminals are getting
desperate taking advantage of police reluctance in checking the menace.”
He said the association leaders met the home minister, the inspector general of police, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner and other police personnel
concerned. “But there is no respite from it.”
A syndicate with strong links is involved in such hijacking, he alleged.
Rustum Ali, general secretary of Bangladesh Truck and Covered Van Owners Association, said, “We are now totally insecure. Not only are vehicles are hijacked, the lives
of our drivers and helpers are at grave risks.”
However, Asaduzzaman Miah, DIG of Dhaka Range Police, claimed that since he took over, policing to stop such crimes has intensified.
“The number of such incidents is now declining while the rate of recovery has increased”, he said, adding, “Most of the stolen vehicles were recovered with goods.”
He said that he asked businessmen and truck owners to use Global Positioning System (GPS) in all the vehicles to avert such incidents and also inform the district
police control room before the trucks enter the district.
DIG Humayun Kabir, chief of Highway Police, however, said “We don’t have adequate manpower and transport facilities to secure the entire highway.”

-With The Daily Star input

Related News

Police clearance no longer required for passports

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus announced that police verification will no longer be necessary for obtaining a passport, thereby reducing unnecessary hassle for citizens. “Getting a passport is a basic right. We have established a rule that eliminates the need for police verification,” he stated. While speaking at the opening session ... Read more

Metro rail achieves record 4 lakh daily passengers

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Metro Rail has achieved a remarkable milestone by carrying over 400,000 passengers in a single day. The Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), which operates the Metro Rail, announced this achievement on their official Facebook page on Friday night. For the first time, Metro Rail recorded 403,164 passengers. The Metro Rail ... Read more

Most people, about 66% think civil servants behave as if they are rulers

News Desk : dhakamirror.com More than 100,000 participants have contributed their responses to reform commission’s online survey 80% of the respondents believe that the administration is not approachable for the general public, according to a survey conducted by the Public Administration Reform Commission. Additionally, 66% of participants feel that civil servants act as if they ... Read more

Former Justice Abdur Rouf dies

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Former Chief Election Commissioner Justice Md Abdur Rouf has passed away at the age of 91. He died around 10:00 am while receiving treatment at Insaf Barakah Kidney and General Hospital in Dhaka, as stated in a press release. Justice Rouf had been battling heart disease, lung complications, kidney issues, and ... Read more

Bangladesh climbed 4 positions to rank 93rd in global passport index

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Bangladesh has climbed four notches up in the latest Henley Passport Index 2025, ranking 93rd out of 99. However, the number of visa-free destinations for Bangladeshi passport holders has dropped from 42 in 2024 to 39 this year, reflecting a decline in global travel privileges. Despite this improvement in rank — ... Read more

BBS Findings show Madaripur most poverty-stricken district, Noakhali least

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Madaripur has the highest poverty rate in the country, with 54.4% of its population living below the upper poverty line. The district’s upazilas are also significantly affected by poverty, with Dasar upazila reporting a poverty rate of 63.2%, as per a survey conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). BBS ... Read more

Ekushey Padak: Women’s football team and 14 distinguished individuals set to receive award

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The government has put forward 14 distinguished individuals and the national women’s football team for the Ekushey Padak in 2025, honoring their remarkable contributions in their respective fields. The cultural affairs ministry announced this on Thursday. The nominees include Azizur Rahman (posthumously) for film, Ustad Nirad Baran Barua (posthumously) and Ferdous ... Read more

New counter-based bus services launch in Dhaka this Thursday

News Desk : dhakamirror.com A new bus service featuring ticket counters is set to launch in Dhaka on Thursday, February 6, with the goal of improving public transport, alleviating traffic congestion, and enhancing passenger safety. The service will officially kick off from Abdullahpur at 10:30 am. This initiative, led by the Dhaka Road Transport Owners ... Read more

Fog disrupts flight operations at Dhaka airport

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Six international flights were diverted to Sylhet and Kolkata airports today due to dense fog at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA). Of the six flights, Jazeera Airways was arriving from Kuwait, Salam Air from Muscat, two US-Bangla Airlines from Dubai, Qatar Airways from Doha, and a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight from ... Read more

St Martins under travel restrictions for 9 months

News Desk : dhakamirror.com A nine-month restriction on tourist movements to St Martin’s Island, the only coral island in Bangladesh, will take effect on Saturday, February 1. Tourists can visit the island until Friday, January 31, as per a decision made by the environment, forest, and climate change ministry. Residents and tourism operators on the ... Read more

Seven Colleges Split from DU

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The administration of Dhaka University on Monday decided to separate the seven government colleges from their affiliation with the university. This decision was made during an emergency meeting between the vice-chancellor of Dhaka University and the principals of the affiliated government colleges on Monday in the vice-chancellor’s meeting room. Following the ... Read more

New trains launch on Ctg-Cox’s Bazar route February 1

News Desk : dhakamirror.com On 1 February, the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar route will witness the launch of two new intercity trains, the Saikat Express and the Prabal Express. The announcement followed a directive from Bangladesh Railways, which called for the allocation of essential resources such as locomotives, coaches, and personnel. Both trains will feature a combined ... Read more

Uniform revamp for police, RAB, Ansar

News Desk : dhakamirror.com On Monday, the government announced the introduction of new uniforms for the police, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and the Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party. The police will don iron-colored uniforms, while the RAB will wear green olive, and the Ansar will sport golden wheat, as stated by home adviser ... Read more

SC acquits Khaleda, Tarique, others, labeling the case as an act of malicious prosecution

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Wednesday acquitted Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia, her son and the party acting chairman Tarique Rahman, and four others in the Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Orphanage Trust case, overturning the High Court’s decision that upheld their convictions. The court also declared the proceedings ... Read more

Bangladesh named The Economist’s country of the year

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The Economist, an influential British weekly magazine, has named Bangladesh the ‘Country of the Year’ for 2024, recognising the nation’s incredible political and social transformation. ‘The winner toppled a tyrant and seems headed for something better,’ the magazine said in its report published on Thursday. It said that the recognition was ... Read more

HC declares key provisions of 15th amendment partially unconstitutional

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The High Court on Tuesday declared several provisions of the Constitution, introduced through the contentious 15th amendment, partially unconstitutional, reinforcing the foundational principles of democracy, judicial independence, and the Constitution’s basic structure. The bench comprising Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Debasish Roy Chowdhury delivered the verdict, addressing amendments that abolished the ... Read more

BIDS study shows 28.24% of graduates from National University unemployed

News Desk : dhakamirror.com A recent study conducted by the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies reveals that 28.24% of graduates from colleges affiliated with the National University remain unemployed. Moreover, a majority of the ones who secure employment are primarily engaged in low-paying jobs, the study further revealed. The study titled, “Understanding unemployment among college ... Read more

Begum Rokeya Day observed with call for women’s equality

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Begum Rokeya Day was observed on Monday across the country with a call for ensuring equality of women in every sector. The country marks December 9 as Begum Rokeya Day commemorating birth and death anniversaries of Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain on the same day. Begum Rokeya, considered as a pioneer of ... Read more

Saudi mega projects push demand for Bangladeshi workers as other markets shrink

Kamran Siddiqui Saudi Arabia hired 83,733 Bangladeshi workers last month, marking the highest number of overseas employment in a single country in 35 months, driven by ongoing mega projects which indicate a further boost in demand for Bangladeshi labour. While overseas employment in Saudi Arabia is surging, the demand for Bangladeshi workers in other labour ... Read more

Bangladesh’s civic space broadened: report

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Civic space condition improved in Bangladesh due to steps taken by the interim government, said the People Power Under Attack 2024 report. The CIVICUS Monitor, a research consortium led by global civil society alliance CIVICUS that track civic space, unveiled the new report on Wednesday, said a press release. Bangladesh stayed ... Read more