The Chittagong city dwellers are concerned over rising incidents of mugging in the port city when the Chittagong Metropolitan Police attributed this to suspects being released on bail after their arrest.
CMP sources said a number of arrested muggers recently obtained bails from the court and resumed their activities even more desperately.
Residents of different areas of the city reported that the muggers were taking away their valuables including cash money, cell phone and laptop at the point of arms every now and then.
They also blamed the law enforcement agencies for failing to ensure the security of the city people.
‘The recent spate of mugging in the city amply proves that the law enforcement agencies failing to maintain law and order,’ said Osman Jahangir, a human rights defendant, Chittagong unit of Odhikar.
‘The police should beef up vigilance in the city to check mugging incidents,’ added Osman.
‘The laxity of the lawmen is encouraging the miscreants,’ said Kazi Shahidul Islam, teacher of a private university.
He added that the law enforcers were resorting to reactive measures instead of pro-active measures.
Shariful Islam, a Chittagong University student, said they were feeling scared of moving around safely in the city as the number of mugging incidents marked a sharp rise in the recent period.
‘The recent spate of mugging incidents is an indicator of dipping law and order situation in the city. The police should beef up their vigilance and launch special drive to net the muggers,’ said Shiekh Farid Raju, a CEPZ official.
‘There are 28 points where a number of mugging gangs lie in wait to snatch valuables from people. We have prepared a list of muggers in the city. In most cases, the pedestrians using dark alleys are found to be victims of muggers,’ said Amena Begum, deputy commissioner, CMP (north).
She also advised the city dwellers to feel free in informing the respective police stations if they sensed presence of muggers anywhere.
Binning the allegation of rise in mugging in the city, SM Tanvir Arafat, assistant commissioner of detective branch of the CMP, said they were nabbing the muggers on a regular basis.
Major Ziaul Hasan Sarwar, in-charge of RAB 7, told New Age that curbing incidents like mugging largely depended on the police.
‘It is a mammoth task to keep vigilance over every nook and cranny in the city as the RAB is engaged in conducting major drives. For containing mugging, there is no alternative to beefing up patrol in the city,’ he said.
‘Despite some logistic limitations, the RAB teams patrol the city round the clock. If any person seeks help from RAB, our teams rush to the spot immediately,’ said Ziaul Hasan.
‘If the muggers are granted bail, it works as an incentive for the muggers but a disincentive for the law enforcers,’ added Major Ziaul.