Dacoits rule rural Chittagong

Incidents of robbery have increased in the villages as organised gangs of dacoits are very active. They loot houses, shops, hats and bazaars free-style. A panicky situation is prevailing in the areas, sources said.

At least six people were killed during dacoity when the villagers tried to resist the miscreants in the last six months, police and other sources said.

Forty-four dacoity cases were lodged with different thanas during the period, police said.

But many of the victims do not register cases with thanas fearing police harassment, sources said.

The incidents of dacoity have increased due to lack of proper police patrolling, sources said.

Robberies have become a regular phenomenon in some thana areas including Raozan, Fatikchhari, Patiya, Anwara, Banskali, Satkania, Hathazari, Rangunia and Chandanaish.

A number of local bazaars were looted in those areas in the past six months.

The dacoits exchanged fire with Hathazari police in June while seven police personnel were injured.

Police super Motiur Rahman told The Daily Star that measures were taken to intensify police patrol in the rural areas to contain robberies.

We have already sent a letter to higher authorities for more police force for the vulnerable areas of Chittagong, he said. With limited police force in rural areas, it is difficult to ensure law and order, he added.

The southern part of the district was worst affected by the frequent incidents of dacoity.

In some of the villages, the residents are guarding their houses equipped with lethal weapons.

A truck driver was shot dead when he tried to resist the highway robbers at Rangunia point on Chittagong-Kaptai highway on July 9 morning, police and witnesses said. The armed dacoits put up barricade on this highway to stop vehicles for committing robbery, witnesses said.

In another incident on the night of July 8, at least 70 shops were looted from Napora Bazar of Banskhali thana, police and witness said.

A vegetable vendor was also killed as the dacoits numbering over 50 opened fire indiscriminately during the incident.

The attack was made immediately after the weekly bazaar day at Napora, they said.

Such a free-style incident of dacoity caused panic among the people at Banskhali.

On information, police raided nearby villages and arrested 12 people in this connection. But the organised dacoits were hardly nabbed, sources said.

Another major incident of looting took place at Rustam Hat, a prominent bazaar of Anwara thana area, adjacent to Banskhali thana.

The dacoits amid spree of gunshots looted about 100 shops at Rustam Hat. Police personnel from the local outpost were withdrawn after this incident.

In May fifty shops were looted at gunpoint in May at Raozan Jagannath Hat, police and local sources said. Cases were lodged with Raozan thana, but none was arrested in this connection so far.