Dhaka police have identified 117 professional mugging gangs and listed 1,387 alleged offenders across the capital, but many continue to evade arrest or return to crime after securing bail.
Police records show that around 80 per cent of those listed face multiple cases. While some offenders avoid arrest by frequently changing locations, others resume criminal activities after release.
Daylight shootings, knife-point robberies and armed muggings have fuelled public fear across Dhaka, raising questions over the effectiveness of law enforcement efforts.
The recent Tk1.21 crore robbery at a petrol station owned by a relative of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has further highlighted the growing confidence of organised gangs and exposed gaps in crime prevention.
Public concern has intensified following a series of violent robberies in Mirpur, Mohammadpur, Tejgaon, Uttara and Gulshan involving firearms, knives and threats.
Former Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Sheikh Md Sajjat Ali blamed weaknesses in policing strategy and command structure for the rise in crime.
“Police are failing to deploy effective crime-control strategies. There is no teamwork, the chain of command is fractured, and skilled officers are not placed in the right roles. Criminals exploit these gaps,” he told TIMES of Bangladesh, calling for coordinated intelligence and enforcement operations.
Sajjat Ali had earlier pointed out practical challenges, saying officers in heavy boots often struggled to chase suspects wearing trainers.
Touhidul Haque, assistant professor at the Institute of Social Welfare and Research at the University of Dhaka, said offenders exploit weaknesses in the judicial process.
“When mugging is treated as a comparatively ‘minor’ offence, criminals take full advantage,” he said, adding that some marginalised drug users turn to crime as a means of survival.
DMP Additional Commissioner (Crime and Operations) Mohammad Osman Gani blamed economic hardship and lenient bail conditions for repeat offences.
“Many reoffend immediately after getting bail. If the actual risk posed by professional muggers is properly presented before courts, we might finally see these numbers decline,” he said.
The Tk1.21 crore robbery in Uttara took place on 9 August morning in front of the Crowne Plaza hotel, opposite the RAB-1 Battalion office. The cash belonged to DL Filling Station, co-owned by Tasin Akter Haq, a maternal cousin of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, and his business partner Yasin.
Police said they recovered the motorcycle used in the robbery incident after 12 days.
Airport Police Station Officer-in-Charge Kamrul Hasan Talukder said suspects had been identified from CCTV footage.
“Several individuals have been identified from CCTV footage, and our operation to apprehend them is ongoing,” he told TIMES. He added that the motorcycle used in the robbery carried a fake registration plate, making it difficult to trace its owner.
Similar cases have also remained unresolved.
On 11 June, Soheli died after being attacked by muggers in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar. Police said the Detective Branch (DB) took over the investigation after a local police station made one arrest.
On 19 March, homemaker Mukta Akter died after being thrown onto the road when a mugger snatched her bag near a metro station in Uttara. Turag Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mostafizur Rahman said the DB was handling the case after local police identified a suspect.
On 7 June, currency trader Lokman was shot and robbed of $17,000 at Motijheel’s Shapla Chattar. Motijheel Division Deputy Commissioner Harun-ar-Rashid said the case had also been transferred to the DB, though he could not confirm whether any suspect had been detained.
Police Headquarters and DMP statistics do not maintain a separate category for muggings, with such cases generally recorded under robbery or banditry.
Police Headquarters data show that 1,067 robbery cases were filed nationwide between January and July this year, including 178 under DMP. Monthly figures ranged between 22 and 33 cases.
However, police officials acknowledge that the figures do not reflect the full scale of the problem, as many victims do not file complaints.
DMP records show 1,387 active mugging suspects operating across Dhaka through 117 professional gangs, each comprising around 10 to 20 members.
Wari division has the highest number of listed offenders at 308, followed by Tejgaon and Uttara with 240 each. Mirpur has the lowest number at 53.
Md Omar Faruk, a criminology professor at Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University, said such gangs rarely operate independently.
“Muggers benefit from political patronage maintained through a clear chain of command,” he told TIMES, adding that criminal groups often scout targets and plan attacks in advance.
He said organised gangs are exploiting weaknesses within law enforcement and institutional gaps to operate with increasing impunity.
