Muggers have been on the prowl on the streets recently with media often reporting on muggings and their victims in the capital and elsewhere in the country.
Even Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Sheikh Md Sazzat Ali reportedly admitted that scattered incidents, mainly muggings of mobile phones, are taking place.
Nuisances like muggers taking away pedestrians’ mobile phones and then running away are common on Dhaka streets. Muggers also arrive with moving bikes and snatch away belongings from rickshaw passengers.
People also lose purses and mobile phones to the pickpocketing. In some cases, snatchers inflict injuries on the people.
Last week, muggers stabbed a college student and took Tk 45,000 and mobile phone from his possession in the capital’s Malibag in broad daylight. At least three people were injured when they tried to prevent two muggers armed with knives in a bus in Police Town area of Savar.
Good news is that police are overpowering the criminals. A police sergeant chased a fleeing mugger in Doyaganj and recovered a mobile phone from the latter possession. According to the Police Headquarters’ latest crime statistics, eight dacoity cases, 54 robbery cases, 60 burglary cases and 146 theft cases were registered in the capital in January.
The deterioration in law and order situation even drew protests in various places of the country. Light vehicle drivers also demonstrated in Iliotganj of Daudkandi upazila in Cumilla at the beginning of this month protesting against robbery and mugging on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway. Students also demonstrated on various campuses including Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University and Jagannath University on 23 February, Sunday.
With the month of Ramadan to begin in less than a week, people have been busier than ever in Dhaka. People have to leave houses often for shopping and other purposes ahead of the Eid-ul-Fitr, and eventually, many of them fall prey to muggings on the streets. Here are some tips that one should follow while leaving home and moving on Dhaka streets to avoid such terrible incidents:
Check all of your essential belongings including your handbag and purse before leaving the house;
Check your mobile phone whether your phone has balance, enough charge and internet data;
Be careful while riding on a rickshaw, hold your bag's straps tightly;
Avoid using mobile phones while you are walking on the street;
Do not use a mobile phone while sitting next to an open window of a vehicle like buses, or car;
Stay alert about your purse and mobile phone while keeping them in your pockets;
In case you fall victim to mugging, do not argue with muggers as often they appear with sharpened weapons or sometimes with guns;
Call the national helpline 999 as soon as possible after the incidents. Use mobile phones of other people, if need be;
Report to police; file a general diary or a case, if necessary, at the nearest police station and check the follow-ups;
Lastly, if you lose credit or debit cards or use other financial services, call customer care officials and ask them to block the services immediately.
Meanwhile, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) is equipping its traffic sergeants with small arms to prevent the rise in muggings. At an event on 6 February, DMP Commissioner Sheikh Md Sazzat Ali said, “Muggings rose in the capital even a month ago, but the incidents fell drastically due to massive arrests and the criminals are put behind bars.”
“We have less manpower, and (our) traffic forces are more helpless. They perform duty alone in a fragile situation. We are giving small arms to (traffic) sergeants so that they can overpower one, two or three muggers alone,” he assured.