Sleepless night in Dhaka as neighbourhood watches take to streets to block robbers
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Many Dhaka residents spent a sleepless night on Wednesday amid fears of robbery and looting. From one end of Dhaka to another, particularly Uttara to Mohammadpur, there were concerns regarding overnight crimes.
Facebook users were posting in different groups and streaming live to beg for security. Residents in many areas, including in Uttara and Mohammadpur, formed neighbourhood watch groups to stand guard, reports bdnews24.com.
Reports say that the army has detained several people in different parts of the capital, including in the ECB Chattar near the cantonment, but such reports could not be confirmed.
Nazvi Islam, a part-time teacher at Dhaka University and resident of Mohammadpur’s Bosila, said that robbers terrorised the area on Tuesday night. Mosques were regularly making announcements, asking everyone to remain alert. On Wednesday night, many local residents gathered in groups to guard the streets with sticks and bats. Hundreds of students from the local madrasa also came to guard the area. After standing watch all night, they returned home in the morning.
Zakirul Islam, a resident of Chanmia Housing in Mohammadpur, said guards were posted at the gates to the housing area on Wednesday night, but residents still could not sleep due to fear.
The fear of robbery has also flared in the Dhanmondi, Shankar and Mirpur areas. Abir Hossain, a resident of Mirpur-14, where many government officials live, says that everyone panicked when news spread that robbers had entered their housing complex.
The previous government had arranged housing for freedom fighters and those injured in the Aug 21 grenade attack in a nearby building. When news spread that the building had been attacked, it sparked more fear among locals.
Actress Rukaiya Jahan Chamak began livestreaming from her Facebook account around 3am asking for help. She said robbers were attacking Priyanka Runway City in Uttara. She added that the building’s residents had gathered in front of the building carrying machetes, butcher knives, and sticks to ward off the robbers. They had repeatedly called the army, but could not reach them. She repeated calls for an army patrol team to come to the area.
Many Facebook users posted or live-streamed videos of robbers attacking a building in the ECB Chattar area adjacent to the Mirpur cantonment. Sounds of unrest and army patron sirens could be heard in the videos. Reports that the army had detained several people in the area could not be confirmed.
People posted on Facebook about the attacks and robberies throughout the night. Many have questioned where so many robbers had sprung up from. Many questioned whether it was just sheer public panic. A bank official named Masum Sarwar said that the two separate groups that came to guard an area in Mohammadpur had been in a shouting match because they believed the other side to be robbers.
SP Sanowar Hossain of the specialised anti-terrorist unit of the police was also awake all night.
At 5am on his verified Facebook account, he wrote, “Tonight I received hundreds of calls/texts for help from loved ones or acquaintances regarding the robbery issue, which is a truly terrifying experience. At the moment, I am not able to do anything except give them the numbers of the army patrol teams. But most of them are finding the line is busy. Maybe it's because everyone is calling at the same time. Today, incidents have increased in the Mohammadpur, Bosila, Dhanmondi, Mirpur, ECB Chattar and Uttara areas. The 'Beri Bandh' appears to be an entry point for robbers. Again, they may be seasonal looting gangs or robbers entering Dhaka.”
He expressed his hope that the police would be able to return to work soon.
“Whatever the case is, there is severe anxiety among the people regarding security. I feel very helpless. Throughout my long career, there has never been a time when I could not provide police service to anyone. But, I promise to be back soon. Just ease the ‘fear of security’ among the police."