A group of armed robbers held over a hundred passengers hostage across 50 to 60 vehicles and looted their valuables on the Idgaon–Idgar–Baishari road in Cox’s Bazar on Monday.
The incident took place in two separate phases—in the morning and afternoon—at Himchhari Dhala along the road.
The masked gang looted cash, mobile phones, and other valuable items from the travellers.
According to victims, a group of 10 to 12 armed robbers intercepted the vehicles, forcibly led the passengers into the adjacent forest, assaulted them, and snatched their belongings.
Describing the ordeal, Md Robiul Islam, manager of the Idgar branch of a non-governmental organisation, said robbers blocked his motorcycle at around noon while he was travelling with a colleague.
The robbers physically assaulted both of them before fleeing with Tk1.20 lakh in cash, two mobile phones, and official documents.
In another robbery along the same stretch, the gang snatched Tk1.50 lakh in cash and a bank chequebook from Abdul Hakim, an accountant at another organisation.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Tareq, a resident of Idgar, managed to escape by jumping off a moving auto-rickshaw.
Addressing the incident, ATM Sifatul Majdar, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Idgaon Police Station, stated that multiple police teams have launched operations to apprehend the culprits.
He added that security patrols have been intensified in the deep forested areas along the highway.
However, no arrests had been made as of Monday evening.
Local residents and regular commuters complained that robberies and abductions occur frequently along this route, yet authorities have failed to implement effective security measures to protect passengers.
