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A family of Bangladeshi expatriates living in Dubai say they have been accosted by a group of “robbers dressed as policemen” after their arrival in Dhaka.
Monica Sarkar, a member of the family, has received first aid at Dhaka Medical College Hospital after she was beaten by the robbers.
The incident occurred in front of the Radisson Blu Water Garden around 4:30am on Monday.
Monica’s husband, Sanjit Sarkar, told the media at the hospital that a microbus using police “signal lights” flagged down their vehicle in front of the hotel as they were on their way to their ancestral home in Faridpur.
“When we stopped our vehicle, men dressed in uniforms like that of the police came up and asked for our identification. They wanted to look at our passports and bags. When we refused to hand over our passports, they began a scuffle. At one point they beat the passengers on the vehicle, tried to drag them out, and broke the windows on the vehicle.”
Sanjit said that when people in the area heard their screams and rushed to help, the robbers fled on their microbus.
He said the robbers were unable to take anything.
Sanjit brought his injured wife to DMCH at 5:20am for treatment. She received first aid at the hospital’s Ward No. 4 and was released at 7:15am.
Sanjit’s father Amrito Sarkar was in the vehicle when the robbery attempt was made.
He said that Sanjit and his family lived in Dubai. Their flight landed in Dhaka in the wee hours of Monday.
Amrito had come from Faridpur to Dhaka in a rented car to meet them and take them home.
“Sanjit, his wife Monica, and their two daughters – five and seven years old – were in the car. They hit Monica with sticks and her injuries swelled. At the end of the day, the robbers were unable to take anything. But their two girls are very scared as they were attacked as soon as they returned to the country.”
Asked about the incident, Nazmul Hasan, assistant commissioner of the Cantonment Zone of the Gulshan Division police, said: “We have yet to receive a complaint, but we will make inquiries.”