A police team from Mirzapur Police Station, Tangail, is currently investigating the robbery that occurred on a Dhaka-Rajshahi-bound Unique Road Royals bus in the Mirzapur area.
The team, led by Officer-in-Charge (Investigation) Salah Uddin, arrived in Baraigram, Natore, on Thursday at around 5pm to speak with the victims.
At approximately 10:15pm on Thursday, OC (Investigation) Salah Uddin said that they had already interviewed several male passengers and identified three female passengers for further questioning.
However, based on the information obtained so far, there was no evidence of sexual assault or harassment during the robbery.
He asserted that while the criminals forcefully took gold ornaments and cash from female passengers, there were no indications of any misconduct beyond threat.
“The female passengers were unwilling to hand over their valuables easily, which led to forceful actions by the robbers. Any physical contact that may have occurred was incidental during this struggle,” he explained.
He emphasized that a conclusive statement would only be possible after a thorough investigation.
Suspicions and aftermath
Following the incident, a male passenger from Baraigram, who lost his business capital during the robbery, has resorted to driving a van to sustain his livelihood.
He and other affected passengers suspect that the bus driver and two others may have been complicit in the crime.
The day after the robbery, Baraigram police detained the bus driver and two staff members under Section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
However, they were later released on bail, while the bus remains in police custody.
A case was filed at Mirzapur police station on Thursday, a couple of days after the robbery.
Details of the incident
On Monday night, the Dhaka-Rajshahi-bound bus (registration number: Mymensingh-B-11-0069) departed from Gabtoli, Dhaka.
Among the passengers were Sohag Hossain, 23 and Omar Ali, 52, both traders dealing in molasses and betel nuts from Baraigram, Natore, as well as another passenger, Majnu Akand from Maukhar.
During the journey, five new passengers boarded at one stop, followed by three more at another location.
Shortly after reaching Tangail, a group of robbers overpowered the driver and took control of the bus.
Armed with knives and other weapons, they proceeded to rob the passengers, seizing cash, mobile phones and gold jewellery from both male and female passengers.
Despite their fear and distress, the female passengers were unable to resist due to the robbers’ threats.
After completing the robbery, the criminals abandoned the bus in a remote area near Chandra before fleeing.
The bus then proceeded towards Rajshahi.
When the passengers from Baraigram managed to contact their relatives using a concealed mobile phone, they informed them of the incident.
Consequently, the bus was intercepted and the police detained the driver and two others.
Victims’ accounts
Omar Ali, one of the victims, said that he and Sohag had travelled to Dhaka 11 days prior with six cartons of solid molasses, six containers of liquid molasses and four sacks of betel nuts.
After selling their goods at various locations, they were returning home on the bus when the robbery occurred.
According to him, the eight newly boarded passengers all carried backpacks and were seen whispering to the bus supervisor multiple times.
Soon after, one of the robbers ordered the driver to relinquish control of the vehicle, after which the criminals began threatening the passengers with knives.
Omar Ali reported that when two other passengers initially resisted, the robbers stabbed them, leaving them injured.
Upon witnessing this, he immediately handed over Tk20,000, hoping to avoid further harm.
However, other robbers then began thoroughly searching passengers, ultimately taking Tk1 lakh from Sohag.
Majnu Akand reported that he lost Tk46,000 in the robbery.
Sohag also confirmed that the robbers forcibly took gold jewellery and cash from female passengers.
Some of the women screamed and cried in fear, prompting the robbers to physically assault them.
Role of a hidden mobile phone
Omar Ali mentioned that while the robbers seized one of his phones, he had managed to conceal another.
When the bus reached Mirzapur, he attempted to seek police assistance but received no support.
As the bus continued toward Natore, he used the hidden phone to contact his relatives, who then alerted the police.
The bus was eventually intercepted and law enforcement recorded the passengers’ statements before detaining the driver and two others.
Police statements and legal proceedings
The three detainees were presented in court under Section 54, and according to Natore Court Inspector Mostafa Kamal, they were granted bail the following day.
Mirzapur police station OC (Investigation) Salah Uddin reiterated that the investigation is ongoing.
“So far, based on our inquiries with three female and multiple male passengers, there is no evidence of sexual assault or harassment. However, the robbers did use pressure while taking valuables, as some passengers were reluctant to comply. Further details will be disclosed after a complete investigation,” he said.
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