Another bus theft on Dhaka highway, robbers molest female passengers

Dhaka, May 21 (IANS) In a continuous surge in highway robberies in Bangladesh, another incident unfolded on the Dhaka-Tangail-Jamuna Bridge highway when a group of robbers hijacked a passenger bus and looted all belongings from the passengers and also molested the female commuters.

The robbery occurred between Tuesday night and Wednesday early morning, as 8-10 robbers disguised as passengers took control of the bus from the driver with knives, machetes and other country-made weapons, local media reported.

The bus, carrying 45 passengers, including about 10 women, left Abdullahpur in Dhaka for Rangpur at around 8 pm on Tuesday.

Bus assistant Atiqur Rahman, highlighting the incident, stated that some other passengers boarded the bus on the way, and after travelling a few kilometres, the robbers had taken control of the bus, leading Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo reported.

Female passengers were also molested during the robbery. One of the passengers, Jewel Mia, confirmed the incident of molestation, stating that he was blindfolded but could hear the female passengers crying and pleading as the robbers searched the female passengers to snatch their money.

Reports suggested that the robbers blindfolded everyone, including the passengers and the bus driver. During the journey, they searched each passenger and looted mobile phones, cash, gold and other valuables.

Later, throughout the night, they drove the bus several times between the area and Tangail. In the early morning on Wednesday, the robbers fled, abandoning the bus in the Shibpur area of the Tangail city bypass road.

The passengers later reported the incident at the Tangail Sadar Police Station in the morning.

Tangail Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Tanbir Ahmed said the process of filing a case is underway, and the police have started work to identify the gang of robbers.

Last month, Bangladesh witnessed back-to-back bus robberies in broad daylight on the Dhaka-Aricha Highway when unidentified individuals hijacked two moving buses and looted gold ornaments from the passengers at knifepoint in a span of half an hour.

In a separate incident in April, robbers looted cash, mobile phones, and gold ornaments from passengers of a moving bus in broad daylight, on the same highway.

Reportedly, the robbers forced passengers to hand over their valuables at knifepoint before escaping.

According to the Bangladesh Highway Police headquarters, such robberies have surged since the fall of the Awami League government in August 2024.

In February 2025, some 74 robbery cases were registered, compared to 71 in January.

On February 27 and March 1, two separate robberies took place in Chauddagram, Comilla, districts of Bangladesh, targeting a Malaysian expatriate and a Kuwaiti expatriate, Prothom Alo reported.

The crimes, according to the report, are not limited to nighttime, with the robbers intercepting passenger buses by blocking roads with felled trees, even in broad daylight.

Many organisations alleged that the rise in robberies is due to the inaction and lax patrols of law enforcement agencies.

According to reports, many robberies have occurred on highways across the country in recent weeks, with businessmen, expatriates, and even ordinary people falling victim, sparking widespread panic and raising concerns about the effectiveness of law enforcement.

--IANS

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