When greed takes over

There are no shortcuts in life. No matter how lucrative they appear shortcuts often end up being regretful. To achieve success, one has to put in hard work, dedication and perseverance.

Sakiul Bashar had it all. His own business and a loving family to go back to after a day's work.

But the 29-year-old Chittagong resident was greedy for more. He wanted to start another business and establish himself as a successful entrepreneur.

So he took exorbitant amount of loans, sold his old business and car, and with the money started a new venture.

Everything went well in the beginning. The business was running smooth. But after a couple of months, Sakiul was “deceived and cheated by his partners” and “lost everything”. Meantime, he was being pressurised to pay off the loans.

To get out of the situation, he chose an easy way out. He became involved with a gang of motorbike lifters in the city.

He was able to steal three motorbikes. But his luck ran out during the fourth heist as he was arrested by the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) from the port city's Jamal Khan area last week.

The officials also arrested his associate one Arjun Kumar, a broker of stolen bikes, said Inspector Santosh Kumar Chakma.

He said, “Disguising as a buyer, Sakiul used to contact the online sellers and then invite them to the city's posh areas to see the bikes.”

Upon meeting the sellers, Sakiul and his girlfriend, a student of a private university in the city, used to haggle over the price and set a different date for payment, said Inspector Santosh.

“On the day of the payment, Sakiul would arrange neatly clipped bundles of blank paper with actual currency on top and bottom. He would then put them in a paper bag and give that to the seller.”

Sakil would then request for a test drive, and flee the scene with the bike, said the inspector.

The inspector said that on September 17, Sakiul stole a motorbike from a seller in MES College area. The owner filed a case with Khulshi Police Station on October 10.

“In similar fashions, he stole two more motorbikes from Sholokbahar and Nasirabad areas. The PBI collected CCTV footages of the incidents and Sakiul was seen fleeing the scene on the bikes on both occasions.”

Sakiul was produced before a court with a five-day remand prayer in the case filed with the police station, he added.