A devastating heist

THE daring and bloody bank robbery that was perpetrated in broad day light on April 21 at the Kathgora branch of Bangladesh Commerce Bank Limited in Aushulia has left the nation in a state of shock. A group of eight to ten men, heavily armed with guns, bombs and sharp weapons stormed the bank just after lunch break and took hostage of the bank officials and clients killing seven people including the bank manager.  Locals chased three robbers and beat one of them to death. 

The way the robbery was carried out speaks volumes about how desperate criminals are becoming these days.  Lately, bank heists and attacks on bKash agents and ATM guards have been rampant across the country. This calls for full-proof preventive measures.  

Crimes like this, perhaps, take place in conditions where criminals think they can get away with it. And in many cases they have. That raises a lot of questions. Why it took the Police and the RAB one hour to arrive at the scene is baffling. The BCB in Ashulia was reportedly equipped with eight CCTV cameras. It should not be hard for law enforcing agencies to examine the footage and launch a massive manhunt to nab the robbers who escaped despite some heroic efforts by the locals. 

And once they are caught, justice must be meted out to these ruthless criminals through a speedy trial, shaking off the inexplicable inertia that has often been associated with responding to similar heinous acts of crimes.