Dhaka is facing renewed concerns over street robberies during the early hours of the morning, with several recent incidents showing how vulnerable commuters can become before the city fully wakes up. Empty roads, fewer witnesses, limited commercial activity and the ability of offenders to escape quickly have made the period from late night to early morning particularly risky.
The latest fatal incident occurred on 29 August at around 6.30am near the South Plaza of the National Parliament complex. Ranjina Parvin, headteacher of Bagbari Girls’ Government Primary School in Bogura, was travelling by rickshaw to a hospital when motorcycle-borne robbers suddenly grabbed and pulled her handbag. The force caused her to fall from the moving rickshaw, leaving her with severe head injuries. She was taken to hospital, where doctors declared her dead.
Law enforcement sources say the incident was not an isolated case. A number of robberies and attacks have occurred at different locations across the capital during the early morning hours, some resulting in serious injuries and deaths.
In June 2026, shortly after returning to Dhaka following the Eid holiday, a woman was seriously injured when a robber pulled at her belongings while she was travelling by rickshaw. She later died while receiving treatment.
Earlier, on 1 July 2023, police constable Moniruzzaman Talukder was stabbed to death by robbers at Farmgate at about 4.15am. On 24 October 2024, an auto-rickshaw driver, identified as Mohammad Nayan, 25, was stabbed by robbers in Keraniganj during the early morning hours. The attackers fled with his vehicle.
There were also reports in 2024 of workers and professionals travelling to their workplaces being attacked in areas around Dhaka during the early morning period. In 2025, a police officer was stabbed in Kutubkhali, Jatrabari. In the same year, a man named Hanif died after being beaten by local residents while allegedly attempting a robbery in Mohammadpur.
Why the early hours are particularly vulnerable
Several factors appear to contribute to the heightened risk between late night and morning.
After midnight, many roads in Dhaka become considerably quieter. Following the killing of Moniruzzaman Talukder in 2023, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police had said that roads often become largely deserted after 2am, creating opportunities for robbers.
Early-morning passengers arriving by bus, train or launch can also become predictable targets. They usually leave transport terminals along familiar routes, making their movements easier to anticipate.
The lack of open shops and businesses is another factor. With fewer people on the streets, there are fewer potential witnesses who might intervene or alert the authorities. Robbers may therefore perceive a lower risk of being immediately identified or stopped.
Motorcycles have also added another dimension to the problem. Attackers can approach a moving rickshaw or pedestrian, snatch a bag and leave the area within seconds, making pursuit difficult.
Several parts of the capital remain vulnerable
Robbery is not confined to one particular part of Dhaka. Police and law enforcement agencies have identified numerous locations as vulnerable to such crimes at different times.
These include Farmgate, Karwan Bazar, Shahbagh, Moghbazar, Malibagh Railway Crossing, Kakrail, Motijheel, Gulistan, Phulbaria, Kamalapur, Babubazar, Rajarbagh, Jatrabari, Sayedabad, Wari, Gandaria, Jurain Railway Crossing, the Mirpur-1 to Technical intersection, Shialbari intersection in Mirpur-6, Kalshi, Badda, Bhatara, Basila, roads in front of the National Parliament complex, Hatirjheel and roads around the airport.
Police data also indicate that the Tejgaon division is among the areas facing a relatively high level of risk from robbery and similar offences. Wari, Mirpur, Uttara, Lalbagh, Gulshan, Motijheel and Ramna have also featured prominently in police assessments.
Badda, Bhatara, Mirpur and Pallabi have recorded a significant number of robbery incidents. Other locations identified as vulnerable include Shahbagh, Moghbazar, Ramna, Malibagh Railway Crossing, Chankharpul, the Dhaka Medical College area, Gulistan, Dhanmondi, Jigatola, New Market, Panthapath and Science Laboratory.
Not all these locations, however, can be described specifically as early-morning robbery hotspots. They have been identified more broadly as areas where robbery occurs. Within them, locations with early-morning passenger movement, commuters heading to work, relatively deserted roads and easy escape routes can present greater risks during the hours before sunrise and shortly afterwards.
A data-based assessment by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police identified 51 vulnerable locations in the Tejgaon division. It listed 32 in Motijheel, 27 in Mirpur, 25 in Ramna and 21 in Gulshan. The figures suggest that the problem extends beyond isolated stretches of deserted road and can affect residential neighbourhoods, markets, transport hubs and regular commuter routes.
More than 500 robbery cases recorded in 2025
Figures held by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police show that 531 robbery-related cases were recorded in Dhaka in 2025, with 1,435 people arrested. In 2026, 172 cases have so far been recorded and 402 people arrested.
Across the two years, the number of reported cases stands at 703, while the total number of arrests is 1,837.
The divisional figures show considerable variation. In 2025, Ramna recorded 41 cases and 144 arrests, followed in 2026 by 17 cases and 37 arrests.
Lalbagh recorded 27 cases and 53 arrests in 2025, while five cases and seven arrests were recorded in 2026.
Wari reported 93 cases and 217 arrests in 2025. In 2026, it recorded 38 cases and 98 arrests.
Motijheel recorded 101 cases and 144 arrests in 2025, followed by 25 cases and 36 arrests in 2026.
Tejgaon recorded the highest number of cases among the divisions listed, with 146 cases and 510 arrests in 2025. In 2026, it recorded 34 cases and 138 arrests.
Mirpur recorded 55 cases and 219 arrests in 2025, followed by 16 cases and 40 arrests in 2026.
Gulshan recorded 27 cases and 73 arrests in 2025, while 20 cases and 31 arrests were recorded in 2026.
Uttara recorded 41 cases and 75 arrests in 2025, followed by 17 cases and 15 arrests in 2026.
The figures show that robbery remains a recurring law-and-order concern across several parts of the capital, rather than being concentrated in a single police division.
Police deploy 89 checkpoints
Against the backdrop of recent incidents, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police has introduced additional security measures during the period considered most vulnerable.
Additional Police Commissioner (Crime and Operations) Mohammad Osman Gani said special measures had been introduced from midnight until 8am to prevent robbery. According to him, 89 checkpoints have been established at different locations across the capital in recent days.
Each checkpoint has been staffed by an officer and seven other police personnel.
The police have also deployed four to five mobile patrol teams from each police station during the same period. Each patrol team consists of an officer and six other personnel.
According to DMP information, between approximately 2,112 and 2,462 police personnel are involved in the special deployment of checkpoints and station-based mobile patrols during the overnight and early-morning period. Regular patrols, pickets and other police duties continue alongside the additional deployment.
DMP Deputy Commissioner for Media and Public Relations Mohammad Akter Hossain said preventive policing operations continue around the clock. Checkpoints, mobile patrols and picket teams are deployed at different locations, with officers divided into various regions and groups for field operations.
He added that deputy commissioners, additional deputy commissioners and assistant commissioners regularly supervise field activities. Complaints are formally recorded as cases where appropriate, and those suspected of involvement are arrested when evidence and circumstances support such action.
For commuters, however, the recent incidents highlight a more immediate concern: the hours before the capital becomes fully active can carry particular risks. Transport hubs, isolated roads and routes used by early-morning workers remain areas where stronger surveillance and visible policing may be especially important.
