Police have arrested three individuals, including a married couple, in connection with the theft of gold ornaments from idols at the landmark Ramna Kali Temple in Dhaka. The suspects were apprehended during a joint midnight raid conducted by law enforcement officers and intelligence agency personnel in the capital’s Uttarkhan area on Saturday.
Those taken into custody have been identified as 29-year-old Lipi Karmakar, her husband Arnab Roy, aged 29, and 35-year-old Md Suman, a local jeweller.
According to Shahbagh Police Station, the burglary occurred on 7 October at the Ramna Kali Temple, a prominent historical and religious site located near Suhrawardy Udyan in central Dhaka. Following the incident, police launched an immediate investigation and scrutinised closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage recorded within the temple premises. Surveillance footage enabled officers to identify the prime suspects and trace their location to a rented residence in Dhobadia, Uttarkhan.
During the late-night operation, police arrested Lipi and Arnab. Under initial interrogation, the couple admitted to their involvement in the heist and disclosed where the stolen property had been sold. Based on their confession, officers raided a local jewellery workshop in Dhobadia and arrested Suman on charges of purchasing the stolen gold.
Inspector (Operations) Khokon Mia of Shahbagh Police Station confirmed that all three suspects confessed to their involvement in the crime during preliminary questioning. The arrestees have been produced before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Dhaka, with police seeking a remand order to conduct further interrogations, recover the remaining stolen gold, and ascertain whether additional accomplices were involved.
Police officials noted that this burglary is part of a troubling series of thefts targeting places of worship across the region. Similar incidents involving stolen gold ornaments were recently recorded at the Siddheswari Kali Temple in Dhaka on 13 September, as well as the Sri Sri Lokenath Temple in Deobhog, Narayanganj, and another Kali temple in Narsingdi district.
The recurring targetting of religious sites has sparked concern among temple authorities and devotees. Ornaments adorning sacred deities often carry immense sentimental, historical, and spiritual value, representing generations of community donations and traditional craftsmanship.
Detectives are currently investigating potential links between these regional temple burglaries to determine if an organised syndicate is at work. Meanwhile, authorities have urged temple committees across the country to strengthen physical security, maintain functional CCTV systems, and restrict access to valuable religious artefacts to prevent further incidents.
