Five cases filed over robberies, kidnapping in Bandarban

Five cases have been filed in Bandarban over the string of robberies, looting weapons and kidnapping of the manager of a Sonali Bank branch in Bandarban. 

"Three cases have been filed with Ruma Police Station and two with Thanchi Police Station against unidentified persons in connection with the bank robberies," Abdul Karim, additional superintendent  (crime and ops) of Bandarban Police, told The Business Standard in the afternoon.

"Process is underway to file another case in Alikadam over the attack on the joint army-police checkpost last night," he added.

Jaseem Uddin, OC of Thanchi Police Station, said Krishi Bank's Ruma branch Manager Lachi Twai Marma has filed a case against 30-40 unknown persons over the looting of the bank by armed men on Wednesday.

The manager of Sonali Bank's Thanchi branch manager has been asked to come to the police station to file a case, he also said earlier.

Bandarban has been reeling from a string of robberies, kidnapping and attacks on security forces in recent days. The attacks are suspected to have been carried out by armed hill group Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF).

Amid the tense situation, the Bangladesh Army, the Bangladesh Police, the Bangladesh Border Guard and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have announced that a joint pincer movement operation will be launched against the KNF.

"The operation will continue till the KNF is eliminated in the district," Khandker Al Moin, director of the Legal and Media Wing of RAB, said in a press briefing at around 11:00am in the District Council auditorium in Bandarban. 

"The operation will include all kinds of tactics followed in anti-terrorist operations in the hills," he said.

He said there are two possible motives of the criminals behind the armed bank robberies and looting in the past few days in Bandarban. First, looting money and confiscating weapons. Second, demonstrate competence.

"The KNF wants to show its supporters and rival armed groups that they are a powerful armed group. They were given a chance to return to normal life.

For this purpose, a peace establishment committee was working under the leadership of the zilla parishad chairman. But the KNF terrorists recklessly carried out various criminal activities including bank robbery, kidnapping, looting weapons, and firing at police camps," he said.

On Tuesday (2 April) night armed robbers attacked the Ruma branch of Sonali Bank. Nizam Uddin was kidnapped on the same night. Within 16 hours of the first robbery, the Thanchi branches of Sonali Bank and Krishi Bank were attacked. The robbers looted around Tk17.5 lakh from the banks.

On Thursday, Nizam Uddin was handed over to his family members at around 7:30pm. Later, RAB took him into their custody.

An hour after Nizam was released, armed robbers again attempted to rob the Thanchi branch of Sonali Bank but were stopped by the police and BGB. The robbers were forced to retreat after a gunfight between the groups ensued for an hour.

Later at midnight, gunmen attacked a joint army-police checkpost in Alikadam in Bandarban.