Alleged robber Rahim cuffed to his bed at the Narsingdi Sadar Hospital yesterday. He was beaten up by a mob and seven of his alleged cohorts were killed by angry villagers. Photo: Rashed Shumon Seven alleged robbers died in a mob beating in Narsingdi Sadar upazila early yesterday. The incident happened around 3:30am, after a gang of 14 looted a house and attempted to rob another at Chakshal villag
e in Pachdona union. Police arrested one suspected robber while the others, including ringleader Dulal, managed to flee, said Abul Kashem, officer-in-charge of Narsingdi Sadar Police Station. The arrested was identified as Abdur Rahim, 40, of Narayanganj. Identities of the dead could not be known. The gang forced into the house of Ershad Munshi around 2:30am and started looting valuables. “They first asked us to open the door by introducing themselves as law enforcers,” said Ershad's son Azizur Rahman. When they did not open the door, the gang broke it open. Advertisement “They then snatched my mobile phone and asked me not to shout.” The robbers then tied him and threw him into a bed and looted other valuable items. Meantime, four to five members of the gang broke into the next room, where Azizur's mother and her elder sister were sleeping. Hearing screams, Azizur's brother, who was in another room, phoned his uncle asking for help, by which time the robbers entered a second house. His uncle informed the imam who alerted the villagers through the loud speaker of a mosque. On hearing the announcement, the robbers started running away, but locals from adjacent villages caught eight of them after chasing them about one kilometer. To create panic among the locals the robbers blasted several crude bombs. A boy suffered minor splinter injuries. The OC said villagers beat all the eight indiscriminately, leaving seven of them instantly dead. By this time, police rushed to the spot and saved one of them. He was taken to Narsingdi District Hospital under police custody. Before entering Chakshal village, the robbers attempted to loot a house in nearby Bodubari village but failed, the OC added. Annoyed by frequent robbery, 10 villages formed vigilant teams two months ago to guard their homes from 10:00pm-5:00am daily. Chakshal village had no such team and that is why it came under attack, locals said. Also, the village is in the remote part of the district. The Sadar Police Station, the closest station, is about 14km from the village. THE RINGLEADER The robbery of Dulal is known to anyone from a 10-year-old to a 70-year-old in Narsingdi's Sadar upazila. He is a listed criminal and served several times in jail for theft and robbery. But nothing could stop him from continuing his long time profession of robbery. The 55-year-old lives with his wife and son in a three-room brick-built house at Choya village under Sadar upazila. These correspondents found his house locked from outside yesterday. Yesterday's robbery was planned at his house, about 5km from the robbery spot, on Sunday afternoon, according to Rahim, the gang member caught by police. The group members started gathering at Dulal's house since 11:00am on Sunday. Talking to The Daily Star, Rahim said he and another gang member, Rehan, went to Dulal's house as per their previous plan. “Dulal briefed us about the plan and distributed sharp weapons among us,” he said, while lying on his bed at Narsingdi District Hospital. Neighbours said Dulal had been a robber for years, although no one could say how long. One woman said police raided his house several times in the past. OC Abul Kashem said, “We raided his house 10 to 12 times in the last eight months. But we did not find him.”
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