Incidents of snatching by muggers by using motorbikes have been continuing to rise in Rajshahi for a long time. By riding on motorbikes, the muggers were approaching their target with a high speed and were escaping fast by snatching bags from the pedestrians and rickshaw riders in the city streets. Though the incidents of such snatching are increasing alarmingly, none of those motorbike user snatchers has so far been arrested.
To get relief from the complications of cases, victims of such snatching were also reluctant to file a case with the police. As a result, the number of cases regarding mugging is also negligible at the local police stations.
At least three incidents of snatching of handbags from two women and a couple occurred during last 11-days. The two of those victims, without visiting the police station, rather rushed to the local newspaper office to tell their stories to the journalists.
The latest incident of mugging occurred at 4-45 pm on Friday at Hatemkhan grave-yard area of the city when two muggers on a motorbike snatched away a bag from the hand of Hasna Banu, a student of the department of Political Science of Rajshahi Women's College. Hasna Banu informed, she had been walking through the grave-yard road when two muggers on the motor bike pulled her bag. Hasna also held her bag tightly but the loose handle of her bag tore away and the muggers managed to escape with the bag.
She further said, soon after the incident, she raised an alarm and a passer-by in front kicked one of the muggers on the motor bike and they nearly fell down but soon they got steady and managed to drive away with a high speed.
Within fifteen minutes of the incident of snatching, she reached Rajshahi Office of a national Bangla daily, still throbbing. She informed, there were two mobile phones, one smart card and some cash money inside the bag. A local journalist at the newspaper office then made a phone call in the number of the snatched mobile phones and those were still ringing. However, the woman was sent to Boalia police station when the Officer-in-charge of the thana Nibaran Chandra Barman filed a general diary in this connection.
The second incident of snatching of hand bag occurred in front of Surjokona School at Seroil on Wednesday (5th February) evening. It was 6.55 pm when the college girl Piya(18), daughter of Azahar of Seroil Mollah Mill area, was returning home by purchasing medicine. When she arrived in front of the school, a mugger riding on a motorbike slowed down the vehicle beside her and pulled her handbag. She also caught tight of the bag but the mugger drove away by holding the bag tightly.
As a result, the handle of the handbag tore away and the mugger escaped with the bag by driving the vehicle in a high speed. Piya said, there were two mobile phones, Taka 2,600 cash money, a pair of earrings and medicine worth Taka 1,500 inside the bag. She also filed a case with Boalia thana in this connection.
Earlier on Monday (27 January) evening at 6-30 am a bag was hijacked from a couple the same way. Rickshaw rider Moslein Chowdhruy and his wife from Shastitola area of the city were the target of the muggers on a motor bike.
The muggers snatched away mobile phone and money from their possession. The victim couple also went to the newspaper office and when advised by the journalist to inform it to police, they went to Rajpara police station where the police filed a general diary in this connection.
Shahadat Hossain Khan, Officer-in-charge of Rajpara Police station informed, he was trying to nab the mugger from the link of the mobile phone. Such incidents of mugging were increasing alarmingly in Rajshahi city in recent times. So far, none of those motorbike rider muggers has been arrested. Moreover, to avoid hassles of the court, only a few want to file a case in this connection.
It is learnt, one year ago a mugger snatched away a lap top from one Tania Khandker at Rajshahi Railway Station area. However, local people caught the mugger red-handed and handed him to the police. A case was also filed with Railway police station in this connection. Tania Khankder informed, the snatchers threatened her over her mobile phone several times to withdraw the case. She fell in a puzzling situation over the issue.
She had to visit the court several times and face the interrogation of the pleader. For such situation, only a few women want to visit the police after they are robbed. And taking the opportunity of such situation, the incidents of mugging were increasing in the city.
