Robbers Disguised as Passengers Steal Tk One Million from Businessman

A routine late-night journey home turned into a distressing experience for a businessman in Chattogram after a group of criminals, posing as ordinary passengers, robbed him of Tk one million inside a CNG-powered auto-rickshaw.

The incident took place at approximately 10:30 pm on Saturday night in the busy Bahaddarhat area, under the jurisdiction of Chandgaon Police Station. The victim, Anichul Islam, is an authorised agent of a mobile financial service provider who had just closed his shop for the day. As was his regular practice, he was waiting near the Bahaddarhat bus terminal for public transport to return home.

Due to the heavy rush of commuters at that hour, Anichul was unable to board a city bus. While waiting, he noticed a CNG auto-rickshaw approaching and calling out for passengers, announcing its destination as the Chandgaon C&B intersection. The vehicle already had three occupants—two seated at the back and one beside the driver. Believing it to be a safer option because of the presence of other passengers, Anichul boarded the auto-rickshaw and sat on the rear seat.

What he did not realise at the time was that the other passengers were not fellow commuters, but members of a well-coordinated snatching gang.

As the auto-rickshaw moved away from Bahaddarhat Mor and reached the area in front of Zia Complex near the bus terminal, one of the passengers suddenly claimed he felt nauseous and needed to vomit. Responding to the request, the driver stopped the vehicle in a comparatively quiet and poorly lit area.

Out of concern and courtesy, Anichul and another passenger stepped out of the auto-rickshaw to make room. In that brief moment, the criminals sprang into action. One of the robbers forcefully snatched the bag Anichul was carrying, which contained Tk one million in cash collected from his daily business transactions. The driver immediately accelerated and fled the scene with the vehicle, leaving the victim stranded.

The robbery came to public attention on Sunday afternoon after Anichul Islam filed a formal complaint at Chandgaon Police Station. Speaking about the incident, he described the experience as shocking and frightening, stating that he had never imagined being targeted in such a calculated manner in a public vehicle.

Chandgaon Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge, Jahedul Kabir, confirmed that a case has been registered. He stated that police are verifying the details, reviewing possible CCTV footage from nearby locations, and actively working to identify and arrest those involved in the crime.

The incident has once again highlighted concerns over passenger safety during late-night travel in urban areas, particularly for individuals carrying large sums of cash.

Incident Overview