Rising Crime Rates Where They Should Be DecliningExperts analyzing the situation believe that law and order in Narayanganj District have been gradually worsening in recent months, despite expectations that crime rates would decline. For a brief period after August 5, the situation remained stable, with no major crimes occurring apart from road accidents.
However, crime has now surged dramatically. Criminals, seemingly acting independently of political affiliations and patronage, have become more brazen. Signs of conspiracy loom, and residents of Narayanganj feel increasingly unsafe. Incidents of extortion, violence, and looting are becoming alarmingly frequent.
Conflicts over land disputes have led to violent clashes. In some cases, robbers disguised as passengers have murdered auto-rickshaw drivers and stolen their vehicles. Extortion attempts have escalated to gun violence. Meanwhile, the rise of teenage gangs continues to be a major concern.
Incident 1: Four hours after going missing, the body of a madrasa student was discovered in a lychee orchard near his home in Joyrampur village, Sonargaon. The incident took place on February 21 at around 11 PM.
Upon receiving the news, Additional Superintendent of Police (B-Circle) Asif Imam visited the scene and assured that a thorough investigation would be conducted to bring the perpetrators to justice. Sonargaon Police Station Inspector M.A. Bari confirmed that efforts to arrest those responsible were ongoing.
The victim, nine-year-old Ibrahim Mia, son of Mohabbat Ali, had been missing since 7 PM that evening. His father had filed a general diary (GD) with the police that night. Later, locals discovered his body in an orchard, with his pajama tied around his neck. The grieving father demanded exemplary punishment for the culprits.
Incident 2: Lamia Chowdhury, daughter of the late film actress Parveen Sultana Diti, was allegedly attacked by relatives in Sonargaon on February 22 over a land dispute.
Lamia went live on social media, showing people vandalizing her car and accusing certain family members of the attack. However, her younger maternal uncle’s wife, Layla Lutfunnahar Sharmin Preeti, denied the allegations in a counterstatement to the media.
Incident 3: Police recovered the body of a 65-year-old man, Utpal Roy, from his apartment in Tanbazar, Narayanganj, on February 11. Roy was a project director at the NGO "Save the Children" and lived with his younger son, a doctor. His elder son is an expatriate engineer. Investigators suspect that burglars killed him before fleeing with gold jewelry and cash. The apartment’s maid and security guard have been missing since the incident, further strengthening police suspicions of a planned robbery. The case remains under investigation.
Incident 4: On February 5, river police retrieved the body of an unidentified man, estimated to be around 35 years old, from the Shitalakshya River near Hajiganj Ferry Terminal. Inspector A.K.M. Aminul Haque of the Narayanganj River Police confirmed the discovery and stated that efforts were being made to identify the deceased. The body has been sent for autopsy.
Incident 5: On January 20, around 1 AM, a group of robbers attacked Shah Zaman, a Bkash agent, in Siddhirganj, stealing a bag containing approximately 2.75 lakh BDT in cash and four mobile phones used for his business.
Zaman was closing his shop, "Bismillah Telecom," when a robber struck him from behind and snatched his bag. Despite chasing the perpetrator for about half a kilometer, he was unable to catch him. Zaman immediately informed the Siddhirganj police, who later visited the scene. Abdullah Al Amin, the Joint Secretary of the National Citizens’ Committee, voiced concerns over the deteriorating law and order situation in Narayanganj.
On February 2, the organization submitted an eight-point demand to the district commissioner, highlighting issues such as rising extortion, theft, and traffic congestion. They also urged authorities to address the legal harassment faced by families of martyrs and called for a memorial monument in Narayanganj to honor the region’s role in historical movements.
Earlier that day, committee members held a march from the Central Shaheed Minar to the district commissioner’s office to press their demands.
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