Robbery on a Kushtia road blocked with tree branches: gold ornaments looted from four women on their way to a Puja pavilion

A robbery has allegedly been committed in Mirpur, Kushtia, by blocking a road with tree branches to stop vehicles. Four women travelling in a van on their way to a Puja pavilion were allegedly robbed of their gold ornaments. Passengers of a CNG-run autorickshaw on the same road were also allegedly robbed of cash and smartphones. The masked criminals fled as local people approached.

The incident took place at around 9:45 pm on a deserted road beside the Kalitala Bishinata field in the Chhatian union of the upazila. Traffic on that lonely road is sparse at night in any case, and the criminals took advantage of exactly that.

According to local sources, a gang of five to six people created an obstruction by throwing tree branches across the road. The masked men were carrying locally made weapons. Their targets were the passengers of vehicles forced to stop.

In the meantime, a young man passing that way on a motorcycle sensed the criminals' presence and tactfully got away from the spot. He then informed people waiting at a nearby crossing, and locals started moving towards the scene.

Before the locals could arrive, however, the four women in the van on their way to the Puja pavilion fell into the criminals' hands. It is alleged that their gold ornaments were snatched at weapon-point.

Afterwards, the criminals also took smartphones and cash from the passengers of a CNG-run autorickshaw passing along the same road. Having looted two vehicles in succession, they left the area.

By the time local residents reached the scene after receiving the news, the criminals had already fled. Police later went there as well. However, as the victims were not residents of the local area, their identities could not be known immediately.

Ujjwal Hossain, member of Ward No. 2 of Chhatian Union Parishad, said a robbery had been committed by felling tree branches across the road. On receiving the news, local people went to the scene and police arrived afterwards, but the accused had fled before that.

Local residents said that robberies and snatchings had happened on the road before, taking advantage of its isolation. They alleged that on this night too, vehicles were stopped using the same technique and valuables snatched from passengers. Repeated incidents of this kind have spread fear among those who use the road at night.

Mirpur police station's officer-in-charge Shahidul Islam said an attempt at robbery was made by felling trees across the road, and that the gang members fled before local people and police reached the scene.

With nighttime travel to pavilions increasing during the Puja season, locals have demanded stronger patrols on such deserted roads. Residents are now looking to the police's next steps to identify and arrest the gang members.