A daring break-in at the District Family Planning Office in Shariatpur has raised serious questions over security arrangements after thieves made off with vital electronic equipment from right beside the district police lines.

The incident occurred at the office located on the third floor of a building along the Madaripur–Shariatpur highway in the Dhanuka area of Shariatpur municipality. Intruders broke five padlocks to gain access to three separate administrative rooms, getting away with a laptop, three digital tablets, and a mobile phone.

According to official sources, employees closed the establishment and departed following the conclusion of regular duties at 5:00 pm on Thursday. The theft came to light on Saturday evening when office assistant Borhan Howlader arrived on site for official matters and discovered the main entrance padlocks shattered. Upon entering, he found rooms ransacked and storage units tampered with, prompting an immediate alert to senior management.

A subsequent audit of the premises revealed that four steel wardrobe drawers had been forced open alongside the damaged room locks. Masud Mamun, Deputy Director of the District Family Planning Office, confirmed the breach, noting that while electronic assets were stolen, administrative files and sensitive official documentation remained untouched. He further revealed a critical vulnerability in the facility’s security infrastructure: the closed-circuit television (CCTV) system covering both internal corridors and external perimeters had been inoperative for an extended period.

The proximity of the crime scene to the police headquarters underscores a troubling lapse in local vigilance. Palang Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md. Shah Alam stated that officers have advised family planning officials to file a formal written complaint, assuring that swift legal action and investigations will proceed once the official case is registered.