Additional Superintendent of Police Saiful Islam Khan, who oversees the Raiganj Circle, confirmed the arrests at around noon on Thursday, 15 October. The suspects were detained during operations in Bogura’s Shajahanpur and Sadar upazilas late on Wednesday night.
The arrested men have been identified as Mohidul Islam, 26, a lorry driver from Shajahanpur; his associate, Sakib Hossain, 20; and Golam Mostofa, 46, from Bogura Sadar. According to police, the arrests were made in connection with a case filed over the incident. The three men were expected to be produced before a court on Thursday afternoon.
Police said the 48 recovered cylinders formed part of the 400 allegedly stolen during the robbery. The whereabouts of the remaining cylinders have not yet been established publicly. Officers are continuing their investigation and conducting operations to locate the outstanding goods and identify other suspects.
The case was filed at Raiganj Police Station by Mohammad Shafiullah, son of the late Mohammad Panna Ullah, from Dikrir Char, also known as Gopchar, in Narayanganj Sadar upazila.
According to the case documents, the incident took place in the early hours of 7 October. At around 3am, a lorry carrying 400 gas cylinders belonging to different companies left Talukdar Filling Station in Chaknur village, Raiganj, bound for Dhaka.
When the vehicle reached the Rouha Bridge area, a group of between 15 and 16 unidentified people allegedly blocked its path. The attackers threatened the driver, identified as Asif, and others travelling in the lorry with sharp knives, according to the complaint.
Two members of the group then reportedly climbed into the vehicle and took control by sitting beside the driver. The lorry was subsequently taken away from its intended route.
At around 4am, the vehicle was stopped on an isolated road beside a cemetery near the Sholomail Fire Service area. The alleged robbers transferred all 400 gas cylinders onto two mini-lorries before leaving the scene.
The attackers also allegedly stole three mobile phones and Tk 86,000 in cash from the lorry driver and his assistant. The loss therefore involved not only the consignment of gas cylinders but also money and personal belongings taken during the incident.
The recovery of 48 cylinders represents an initial development in the investigation, but most of the reported consignment remains unaccounted for. Police have not publicly detailed the individual roles allegedly played by the three arrested men or confirmed how many other suspects may be involved.
The investigation is expected to focus on tracing the missing cylinders, establishing how the vehicles were used to transport the goods and determining the circumstances surrounding the alleged robbery. The allegations against the arrested men remain subject to the legal process.
