A tragic incident involving a Customs Assistant Revenue Officer, Buluet Bairagi (34), has sparked widespread concern after he reportedly fell victim to a violent organised robbery gang while returning to his rented residence in Cumilla from Chattogram. Law enforcement sources have confirmed that the case has exposed a pattern of coordinated highway crime, triggering renewed scrutiny of passenger safety on intercity routes.
According to investigators, Mr Bairagi boarded a long-distance bus from Chattogram late in the evening and later disembarked near Padua Bazar Bus Stand in Cumilla. From there, he took a CNG-powered auto-rickshaw to reach his destination. Unbeknownst to him, four members of a professional robbery syndicate were already inside the vehicle—two seated at the front alongside the driver and two at the rear.
Preliminary interrogations suggest that the suspects had long been operating along highways and connecting roads, posing as ordinary passengers before targeting victims in secluded stretches. Their modus operandi involved isolating passengers, forcibly robbing them, and escaping after pushing victims from moving vehicles.
Investigators believe that Mr Bairagi resisted when the group attempted to seize his valuables, leading to a violent struggle inside the moving auto-rickshaw. He was allegedly thrown onto the highway, sustaining fatal head injuries. His body was discovered early the following morning near a roadside area in the Kottabari section of the Dhaka–Chattogram Highway.
Timeline of Events
| Time/Stage | Incident Description |
|---|---|
| Late night | Departed Chattogram for Cumilla by bus |
| Padua Bazar | Disembarked and boarded CNG auto-rickshaw |
| Shortly after | Robbery gang already inside vehicle |
| En route | Struggle and attempted robbery |
| During movement | Victim allegedly pushed from vehicle |
| 7:45 AM (next day) | Body recovered near highway roadside |
Police officials have confirmed that five individuals were involved in the incident. Four directly participated in the assault and robbery, while a fifth suspect was later found in possession of the victim’s bag and mobile phone. Authorities further revealed that all five accused had prior records linked to railway robbery cases.
A senior law enforcement officer stated that modern investigative tools enabled rapid identification and arrest of the suspects. Officers involved in the operation noted the emotional toll of the case, describing it as particularly disturbing due to its brutality and premeditated nature.
Family members of the deceased said Mr Bairagi was serving in Cumilla and had recently established a new household there. The family had been preparing to celebrate the first birthday of his newborn child, a celebration now overshadowed by grief.
The incident has reignited debate over passenger security on Bangladesh’s highways, with growing calls for enhanced monitoring, stricter transport regulation, and stronger preventive policing to curb organised robbery networks operating under the guise of commuters.