On October 21, CCTV footage capturing a mugging in Mohammadpur went viral and shocked local residents.

The video shows a young female college student walking down a street in the Nobodoy Housing area around 6:30 in the morning. Suddenly, a group of young men brandishing machetes appeared from behind and blocked his path.

They asked for her bag, but when she resisted, they tried to stab her.

Before the young woman fled the scene, the robbers fought desperately and managed to snatch her bag.

The viral video has created fear among the residents of Mohammadpur, especially women, who are now reluctant to go out even during daylight hours.

Residents reported a serious deterioration in law and order in Mohammadpur since August 5 and a sharp increase in crimes, especially extortion and murder.

Since then, at least ten people have been killed for alleged ties to political domination and drug trafficking in the region. Miscreants openly use automatic firearms and shootings have become commonplace.

Due to the rising crime rate, locals are hesitant to leave their homes after dark unless absolutely necessary, especially in the outer areas of Mohammadpur, including Chand Udyan, Bosila and Ring Road areas. If they need to go out, they avoid carrying expensive items such as mobile phones, bank cards and large amounts of money.

On the morning of October 20, six miscreants blocked a Nestlé company car at Mohammadi Housing Limited and robbed Tk 11.85 lakh.

Before On the night of October 11, armed robbers disguised as army and RAB personnel entered the house of a businessman in Mohammadpur and looted Tk 7.5 lakh and 60 bhori gold ornaments.

On October 24, robbers raided a grocery shop in 40 Feet area of ​​Basila in Mohammadpur, took the shopkeeper hostage with sharp weapons and fled with all the money.

Hasina regime after August 5 Faced with a mass riot, law and order began to break down due to the lack of police personnel at the stations. Although police forces later returned, the situation was still out of control.

Recently, temporary army camps have been established in the region together with the police and RAB to ensure the safety of people’s lives and property.

Law enforcement officials attribute the difficulties in controlling the situation to several factors, including a lack of manpower and inadequate patrol vehicles. But they assure that efforts are continuing to reduce the rising crime rate.

They say that with sufficient manpower and resources, such activities can be controlled more effectively.

Last week, the army arrested several terrorists and extortionists in a special operation to combat the worsening situation.

Most robberies in outer areas, ‘Mughal zone’ safer

In Mohammadpur, affluent residential areas named after the Mughal era, such as Iqbal Road, Taj Mahal Road and Shershah Suri Road, are experiencing relatively low robbery rates due to increased police vigilance, according to locals and police officials.

In contrast, areas like Chand Udyan, Chandrima Residences and Ring Road and Basila surroundings are more prone to such incidents.

Saqlain Rizvi, a resident of Mohammadpur, said crime rates were lower in the central part of Mohammadpur and its neighboring districts Dhanmondi and Lamatia.

But it underlines the higher risk On the outskirts of Muhammadpur, Many residents avoid going out in the evenings due to safety concerns.

Ten robbery incidents took place in Soarighat Beribadh Road, Beribadh Four Road Junction, Bosila and Gabtali Bridge areas in the last two weeks. On the Muhammadpur-Gabtali road.

Khandkar Rafi, a resident of Bosila, narrated an incident that took place on October 19 at around 3.30pm.

He said three members of his mess hall were on their way home from a nearby restaurant when they were ambushed by a group of 9 to 10 young men armed with large, sharp weapons. The attackers stole their belongings, including two mobile phones and around Tk 9,000 in cash, before fleeing the scene.

A mugging victim, who wished to remain anonymous, reported that he was boarding a rickshaw in the Bosila 40 Feet area around 10pm on October 18 when a group of robbers stopped the vehicle and stole his mobile phone and wallet.

Mohammadpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Iftekhar Hasan stated that the police are actively working to control the situation and nab the criminals.

Domination of youth gangs

Youth gang culture has long been a problem in Muhammadpur. elements involved in various criminal activities.

Locals report that these gangs once aligned themselves with Chhatra League and Jubo League have adapted to the changing political environment since the ousting of the Awami League government on August 5. They are now actively involved in theft, robbery and extortion.

On the night of October 27, the army launched a special operation in Muhammadpur and arrested around 40 members of various youth gangs. Many of the detainees had distinctive tattoos, some with double star symbols.

A series of murders

On September 20, two persons, Nasir Biswas (29) and Munna (22), were found brutally murdered at the embankment area near Rayerbazar Boddhobhumi in Mohammadpur. Both victims belonged to the same gang.

Nasser, a bricklayer by profession, was known for his association with the Awami League in the Mohammadpur-Hazaribagh region. Police investigation revealed that he had He used this connection to extort and trade drugs.

Munna had a criminal record for being involved in at least eight drug cases and acts of sabotage. Nasir was involved in two drug-related cases.

Three days after the incident, a case was registered at Mohammadpur Police Station against six persons, including notorious terrorist Imamul Hasan Helal (alias Picchi Helal).

A person named Miraj Molla (23) was arrested on the same day regarding the incident.

On September 1, Billal Gazi, a staff member of Akash Neela West Residences, was brutally murdered in the Nobodoy Residences area. inside Muhammadpur.

On September 17, Shahadat Hossain was hacked to death in the Three Way Junction area of ​​Green View Residences in Mohammadpur.

Additionally, CNG driver Shahriar Ashiq (21) was killed in Bosila 40 Feet area of ​​Aram Residence in Mohammadpur.

Following the incident, his father filed a case with Mohammadpur Police Station. Later, 14 people related to the incident were detained by the police.

History of underground domination in Muhammadpur

Muhammadpur has long been a breeding ground for high-level criminals who dominate the underworld and control criminal activities in this part of the capital.

Sweden Aslam, a notorious terrorist, is believed to have once controlled criminal activities in Muhammadpur in the 1990s.

His criminal career began in 1986 with the murder of a young man named Shakil, who was shot dead while holding his mother’s hand outside Nazneen School in Farmgate, East Rajabazar.

Five days after Shakil’s murder, he took control of eight halls at Dhaka University overnight to assert his dominance. Following this takeover, the name Aslam became synonymous with terrorism.

After committing more than a dozen murders, he fled to Sweden and earned the nickname “Swedish Lion”.

He was later imprisoned and faced at least 12 cases filed in connection with the murder of Jubo League leader Ghalib of Tejgaon, the latest of which was on March 23, 1997. He was released on bail on September 3.

Picchi Helal and Sanjidul Islam Imon, who are among the 23 most wanted criminals, allegedly continued extortion in the transport sector of Muhammadpur and on the roads even from prison. Helal has reportedly returned to criminal activities since his recent release.

Another top terrorist from Mohammadpur was former Chhatra Union leader Tofail Ahmed Joseph. His elder brother, Major General Aziz Ahmed, served as Director General of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and later as Chief of Army Staff.

The youngest of five siblings, Joseph entered politics under the guidance of his elder brother Haris Ahmed, a former Jatiya Party member who later joined the Jubo League and served as a councilor in Ward 44.

Joseph then established a reign of terror in Muhammadpur-Hazaribagh and surrounding areas. 1990saligning himself with the infamous Seven Star Group led by Subrata Bain.

At that time, Seven Star Group and Five Star Group were the two dominant criminal organizations in Dhaka.

In 2018, Joseph was released from prison after a presidential pardon cut short his life sentence.