bKash agents shot, Tk 13 lakh looted

Muggers ran away with Tk 13 lakh after shooting two sales representatives of bKash at Kafrul in the capital yesterday morning.

In another incident, assailants killed an agent of the mobile banking service provider while snatching Tk 1 lakh from him in Tangail Sadar upazila on Friday night.

The sales representatives -- Mosharraf Hossain, 33, and Al-Amin, 22, -- were undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, said Sentu Chandra Das, assistant sub-inspector of DMCH Police Camp.

Mosharraf was shot five times in the hands while Al-Amin once in the backside, he added.

Zainal Abedin, manager of AID bKash Distribution where the victims work, said the incident happened around 10:30am when the two staff were returning to their office at Mirpur 14 on a motorcycle.

They were carrying the money they had collected from several bKash agents in Senpara area of Kafrul.

Tea vendor Mohammad Jewel, a witness, told The Daily Star that the bike was crossing Police Staff College at a very slow speed.

Suddenly, the victims fell on the ground as three criminals, who were standing beside the tea stall parking their bike, pushed them from behind.

The bKash sales representatives started running on being chased, he said.

To save themselves, Mosharraf and Al-Amin entered an alley near Housing Staff Quarter but were caught by two more muggers there. The criminals were already waiting for them as per their plan. The two attackers joined them soon after, said another witness, wishing not to be named.

At first, the muggers shot Mosharraf five times in his hands as he refused to give them his bag full of money. Then they shot Al-Amin in the backside. With all the money, the muggers fled immediately on two bikes.

However, AID bKash Distribution manager Zainal Abedin, quoting the victims, said the muggers used another vehicle in the crime.

Contacted, AKM Moin Uddin, sub-inspector of Kafrul Police Station, said they were investigating the matter and no one was arrested yet.

In Tangail Sadar upazila, bKash agent Iqbal Hossain, 30, of Aag Dighulia village, was stabbed to death on Friday night. He was also a village doctor.

ASP Mohiuddin Faruki, commander of Crime Prevention Company-3 of the Rapid Action Battalion-12, said a gang of criminals intercepted the victim's bike in Golchokkor area around 9:30pm when he was returning home.

They stabbed Iqbal repeatedly with sharp weapons, snatched Tk 1 lakh from him and fled.

He was declared dead after being rushed to Tangail Medical College Hospital an hour later, said Faruki.

Locals caught one Babul Miah, 28, on the spot suspecting him to be one of the killers, and handed him over to the Rab, said Aminul Islam, chairman of Mahmudnagar Union Parishad.

Babul was handed over to the police later.

The locals also vandalised houses of three people allegedly involved in the crime, he said.

Nazmul Haque Bhuiyan, officer-in-charge of Tangail Model Police Station, said Babul admitted to his involvement in the incident during the primary interrogation.

He said they were raiding different places to arrest the other killers.

A case was filed with the police station.