An armed group allegedly held up a gold trader and his relatives in Keraniganj, Dhaka, on Monday evening, shooting two men in the legs before fleeing with gold ornaments weighing an estimated 20 to 25 bhori.
The incident took place in the Hazratpur area at around 7.30pm on 21 September. The injured men, identified as gold trader Antar Sarker, 25, and his maternal cousin Rajib Sarker, 20, were later rescued and taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment.
According to police and local sources, Antar runs a jewellery business at Hazratpur market. As on other days, he closed his shop in the evening and began his journey home with his father, Mitai Sarker, and Rajib. They were travelling by an auto-rickshaw towards Atipara in Singair upazila of Manikganj.
The group was carrying gold ornaments and cash from the day’s business. When the auto-rickshaw reached Hazratpur at approximately 7.30pm, several armed men reportedly intercepted it.
The attackers were travelling in three motorcycles, carrying nine people in total, while several others arrived in a CNG-run auto-rickshaw. They surrounded the vehicle and launched an attack, leaving the passengers with little opportunity to escape.
The assailants opened fire at Antar and Rajib, hitting both of them in the legs. They then took away a tiffin box containing gold ornaments. The stolen jewellery is estimated to weigh between 20 and 25 bhori, although the precise value of the haul was not immediately established.
The attackers reportedly detonated five or six bombs while leaving the area. The explosions were apparently intended to create panic and prevent people from intervening as the group made its escape. The gunfire and blasts caused alarm among residents in the surrounding area.
Antar and Rajib were subsequently rescued in an injured condition and taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where they were admitted for treatment. The available information did not indicate that either victim had suffered a life-threatening injury, although both sustained gunshot wounds to their legs.
The incident has raised concerns over the security of gold traders travelling with valuable jewellery and cash after closing their businesses for the day. Such movements can expose traders to considerable risks, particularly when valuable goods are transported outside commercial areas.
In this case, the attackers appear to have operated as a sizeable, coordinated group, using multiple vehicles to intercept the victims. The use of firearms and explosives also suggests that the robbery involved a significant level of preparation, although the circumstances leading up to the attack and whether the victims had been followed remain unclear from the information available.
The exact identities of the attackers, the total value of the stolen gold and cash, and whether any other valuables were taken were not immediately known. Further investigation will be needed to establish how the gang identified the victims’ route and to determine the full extent of the losses.
The recovery of the stolen jewellery and the identification of those involved are expected to be key aspects of the investigation. The use of firearms and explosives during the robbery also adds to the seriousness of the incident, as the attack not only caused physical injuries but also created a wider security threat for people in the area.
