A primary school headteacher has died in Dhaka after falling from a rickshaw when a mugger snatched her bag near the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.

The victim, Mosa. Ronjina Parveen, served as the headteacher of the Bagbari Girls’ Government Primary School in Bogura. The tragedy unfolded on Saturday morning at around 06:30 AM in one of the city’s most high-security zones.

According to police and family accounts, Ronjina had travelled from Bogura to Dhaka overnight to seek medical attention for her eyes at the Islamia Eye Hospital in Farmgate. After arriving at the Gabtoli bus terminal early in the morning, she hired a rickshaw to make her way to the hospital. As the vehicle approached the South Plaza of the national parliament building, a motorbike pulled up from behind. The pillion rider abruptly grabbed her handbag, causing her to lose her balance and crash onto the asphalt.

The violent impact caused a severe head injury. Emergency responders and bystanders rushed her to the Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, where the duty doctor pronounced her dead upon arrival.

Ibn Mizan, the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of the Tejgaon Division of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), confirmed the incident and stated that law enforcement officers are working to identify the culprits and the motorcycle involved using surrounding security camera footage. Investigators are examining traffic corridors and eyewitness testimonies to track down the perpetrators.

Street crime involving mobile phones and bags remains a persistent concern in densely populated urban centres like Dhaka, particularly during the early morning hours when commuter traffic is sparse and public transport hubs experience high passenger turnover. Commuters frequently face risks while travelling on open transport such as rickshaws, prompting calls for heightened surveillance and security measures along major thoroughfares.