A Chinese official was allegedly tied up by a group of robbers who broke into an electric rickshaw battery factory in Dhamrai, Dhaka, and stole Tk70 lakh in cash.
The incident took place late on Saturday night at Jiangsu Storage Battery BD Co Ltd, located in the Belishwar area of Sutipara Union in Dhamrai. Police visited the factory on Sunday afternoon as part of their investigation into the robbery.
According to the factory authorities and police, Li Penggui, the factory’s in-charge and cashier, went to sleep in his room at around 11.30pm on Saturday. Around 12.15am, a group of three men allegedly entered the factory after cutting through the metal grille of a toilet window at the rear of the premises.
After gaining entry, the alleged robbers reportedly broke the lock of Li’s room and went inside. They then restrained him by tying his hands and feet with rope. One of the men allegedly held a knife to his throat and demanded the key to the cash locker.
The attackers took the key from him and opened the locker, from which they allegedly took Tk70 lakh in cash. They then fled the factory, leaving the Chinese official tied up inside his room.
The sequence of events suggests that the attackers entered the premises by targeting a relatively less secure section of the factory. However, the exact route used by them after entering the compound and the circumstances surrounding their escape are yet to be established. Police are expected to examine the scene and gather evidence that could help identify those involved.
The large amount of cash reportedly kept inside the factory’s locker is also a key part of the investigation. Police will need to establish why the money was kept at the premises, verify the amount allegedly stolen and determine whether the attackers had prior knowledge of its presence.
The incident has raised concerns about security at the industrial facility, particularly because the alleged robbers were able to enter the premises at night and reach the room of the official responsible for the factory’s cash. Investigators are likely to examine the condition of the factory’s entry points and other available evidence as they work to reconstruct the robbery.
Dhamrai police station officer-in-charge Nazmul Huda Khan said police went to the scene after receiving information about the incident. He said the matter was being investigated seriously and that efforts were under way to identify those responsible and recover the stolen money.
No arrests have been reported so far. Police are continuing their investigation into the alleged robbery, including how the three men gained access to the factory, how they obtained the locker key and where they went after taking the cash.
The case remains under investigation, and further details are expected as investigators collect evidence and question people connected with the factory.
