The wallet and mobile phone of Kamalapur railway station manager were stolen in broad daylight when he was speaking at a press briefing at the station.
The incident puzzled all as it took place on Saturday morning in front of over 50 media personnel who were covering the event.
It was seen in a video clip that a man took position on the left side of the manager – Md Masud Sarwar – and stayed there for few minutes. When he left the spot, the manager sensed that his wallet and two handsets have just been stolen.
A general diary was lodged with the railway police station regarding the incident.
In conversation with several reporters covering the event, it was learnt that the incident took place when the briefing was at the last stage. A man appeared in the scene and took position on the left side of the manager.
When the photojournalists surrounded the manager to take a snap of a document, the man took the wallet and two mobile phones of the manager and left the room quickly.
The whole incident of theft was captured in several cameras, including the CCTV camera of the spot.
Asked about the missing items, Md Masud Sarwar told Prothom Alo that there was more than Tk 45,000 in the wallet. One of the two stolen smartphones was provided by the office.
However, he expressed wonder over the incident, saying, “The man committed the crime in front of all these media personnel. I am surprised, what a cunning thief he is!”
Asked about the desperate movement of thieves at the station, he said this incident indicates that there might have more expert thieves at the station.
The law enforcement agencies, including police, should remain vigilant to thwart such incidents, he said, adding that they already beefed up the security measures.
However, a suspicion arose that the incident might be preplanned. Some suspected that the station manager himself may have masterminded the mobile theft to stay away from complaints over irregularities in ticket sales ahead of Eid-ul Fitr.
Asked over the issue, Md Masud Sarwar said it is a completely absurd suspicion.