From fish trading to mugging, Saddam goes out with knife at dawn

A video of a rickshaw passenger being stopped, mugged and stabbed in Chattogram has recently circulated on social media. Later, Members of the Chattogram Metropolitan Police’s (CMP)Detective Branch arrested certain Saddam Hossain in connection with the incident. Police officials said Saddam used to run a fish business. However, he later gave up the business and became involved in mugging to arrange money for gambling and drugs.

Saddam Hossain lives in the Shikalbaha area under Karnaphuli police station. He was arrested from his home last Sunday by the city DB police. Saddam Hossain has 10 mugging cases against him in different police stations in the city.

Police said Saddam is now a professional mugger. He sleeps during the day. Before dawn, he goes out with a knife to commit muggings. His targets are mobile phones and necklaces. If anyone refuses to hand these over, Saddam immediately stabs them. After the mugging, he quickly flees in a CNG-run auto-rickshaw or a battery-powered rickshaw.

Early last Saturday, a rickshaw passenger was mugged and money was snatched from his pocket on Satish Babu Lane behind Kotwali police station in the city. Saddam was accused of stabbing the passenger during the incident. After a video of the mugging spread on social media, police filed a case with Kotwali police station. Certain Monir Hossain was arrested that night. Saddam Hossain was arrested later.

Police sources said 81 mugging cases were filed at the city’s 16 police stations in the eight months from January to August this year. The highest number of cases, 15, was filed in July. There were 14 cases in August, 13 in February and 10 in January. The lowest number of cases was recorded in May, with only three. City residents consider the information that only three mugging cases were filed at 16 police stations in May to be unbelievable.

It has been learnt after talking to police and victims that muggings happens regularly at at least 100 places in the city, including New Market, Kotwali intersection, CRB, Kadamtali, railway station, Sadarghat, Patharghata, Lalkhan Bazar, Kazir Dewri, Gate No. 2, Muradpur, Chawkbazar, Dewanbazar, Oxygen intersection, Shershah, Bahaddarhat, EPZ, Alankar intersection, Foy’s Lake and Khulshi. Sometimes muggers stop pedestrians at knifepoint, while at other times they arrive in CNG-run auto-rickshaws and snatch mobile phones, money and other belongings from pedestrians or rickshaw passengers before fleeing.

A video circulating on social media shows two men trying to forcibly take something from the right pocket of a passenger sitting in a battery-powered rickshaw. The passenger is heard saying, “Brother, I’m giving it to you.” When he moves, one of the muggers at one point stabs him in the left leg with a knife. He is then seen cutting the passenger’s pocket with the knife.

The incident took place at around 6:40am on Saturday. After the video went viral, police launched a manhunt to arrest the muggers. Police said Saddam was one of three people involved in the mugging. He was the one who stabbed the rickshaw passenger in the left leg.

CMPs’ DB Inspector Aftab Hossain recognised Saddam from the video, where he was wearing a white T-shirt. He had previously been posted at Kotwali police station. After watching the video, police identified Saddam’s location and launched an operation. A team of detectives went to Saddam’s home in Shikalbaha, Karnaphuli, on Sunday afternoon. Saddam was sleeping at the time. The team surrounded the house and arrested him there.

During preliminary questioning after his arrest, Saddam told police that he tries to complete the mugging quickly so that he can leave the scene as soon as possible. However, people do not want to hand over their belongings easily. So, if they delay, he stabs them with a knife. People then hand over their belongings out of fear.

CMP’s DB Deputy Commissioner Sheikh Shariful Islam told Prothom Alo, “Saddam stabs people if they delay handing over their belongings. He does not consider that people may be injured or harmed by the attack. His goal is to snatch the belongings within a short time. He sells the stolen goods to specific people. He uses the money to gamble and take drugs.”

The police official said Saddam can only write his own name when it comes to education. At one point, he used to run a fish business with his father. Later, influenced by friends, he became addicted to gambling and drugs. After losing money through gambling, he became involved in mugging. He was once arrested and became involved in mugging again after being released on bail. To prevent police from easily identifying him, he does not use a mobile phone at the scene while committing muggings. He switches off his mobile phone when he is still three to four kilometres away.

Police said Saddam sleeps during the day and commits muggings at dawn. Saddam told police that there are fewer people on the roads at dawn. Shops are also closed. However, people travelling to offices and garment factories are on the streets. It is possible to snatch mobile phones and necklaces at this time. These two items are his main targets.

Before Saturday’s incident, at around 7:30am on 8 July 2025, Saddam and his accomplices stabbed a woman named Bina Deb and snatched her necklace in the city’s Teribazar area. Saddam was arrested and sent to jail in a case filed over the incident. He was released on bail three months later and became involved in mugging again.

CMP’s DB Inspector Aftab Hossain told Prothom Alo that Saddam is a professional mugger. He has no other profession. He gambles and takes drugs with money from muggings. For this reason, he does not want to return empty-handed after going out to commit a mugging.