A daring armed robbery took place late Friday night at Shikder Group’s 100-megawatt power plant in Golgolia village, under Basta Union, near the First Dhaleshwari Bridge toll plaza in Keraniganj.
The 100-megawatt Keraniganj power plant is a concern of Sikder Group, specifically through its subsidiary PowerPac Holdings Ltd.
A gang of at least 20 armed assailants tied up and held 10 security personnel and employees, hostage before looting equipment and materials worth several crore taka.
According to plant in-charge Ahsan Kabir Sarker, the gang entered the facility at around 7:45pm on Friday. Brandishing firearms, they overpowered 10 security guards and staff, tying their hands, feet, and blindfolding them. The attackers then detained them inside a building, before ransacking the premises overnight.
The robbers reportedly targeted roll of cable inside the plant, stealing valuable cables, machinery parts, laptops, computers, and other office equipment.
Kabir said that three large trucks were loaded with cables, machinery, monitors, batteries, mobile phones and other assets over the course of plunder lasting for nearly eight hours. Before leaving, the gang cut off the plant’s power supply.
Security guard Tamim reported that on arrival at workplace at 10:15pm from Jatrabari, several men grabbed him at the gate, tied his hands, and threatened to kill him at gunpoint when he tried to shout. “Inside the gate, I saw two groups totalling six men, aged around 25 to 30,” he said.
Imam Shafiqul Islam, who came to lead the Isha prayer at the plant, said an unfamiliar man opened the gate for him. “As soon as I entered, a group of 4/5 men seized me and took me to the second floor of the residential building, where others were already bound and blindfolded,” he said. He estimated there were at least 20 robbers, all carrying knives, some armed with pistols.
Plant worker Korom Ali said, “There were 10 of us inside. The robbers hunted us down one by one, took our mobile phones, and demanded access to the CCTV system.”
Office assistant Ekramul Haque said he was attacked in two places with a sharp weapon when he tried to resist 3–4 intruders in his room. “At least three had pistols, and they hit us whenever we spoke,” he added.
Staff member Abu Naim corroborated that after midnight, three large trucks were loaded with stolen goods. “It went on for nearly eight hours before they left, snapping the electricity,” he said.
Kabir confirmed that at the time of the robbery, 10 staff members, including security guards, were inside the plant.
On Saturday, local police and law enforcement teams inspected the scene. The exact value of the stolen items will be fixed up after a full audit by the company’s head office.
Syed Mohammad Akhtar Hossain, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of South Keraniganj Police Station, said CCTV footage is being reviewed. “We will take necessary measures once a formal complaint is lodged. At this stage, there is nothing more to comment on,” he stated, adding that no arrests have been made so far.
Sources indicated that the armed robbers may have reached the power plant both by river—using trawlers—and by road in trucks. Investigators suspect the assailants could be locals, as they were heard speaking in the regional dialect.
The privately-built 100MW power plant, located near the First Dhaleshwari Bridge toll plaza in Golgolia village, began operation on December 2, 2012.
