3 govt offices ransacked now in Natore

Monday, December 14, 2009

In mysterious incidents of a series of heists, criminals ransacked three more government offices in Natore early yesterday, just a day after similar incidents of robberies at two other public offices in Rajshahi.

Tying up four on-duty night guards, the gang swooped on Natore District Secondary Education Office, Natore Technical School and College at Madrasa crossing and a warehouse of Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) at Kanaikhali in the town in between Saturday midnight and 2:00am yesterday. They also ransacked nine rooms of these government establishments.

Officials concerned and police could not trace any clues to the incidents as nothing went missing from the offices except Tk 40,000 in cash from the technical school and college.

Similarly, criminals broke into the offices of the Rajshahi Divisional Commissioner and LGED early Saturday and ransacked a total of 32 rooms.

The officials concerned said nothing was missing from their offices. Police yesterday said Tk 16,000 in cash was looted from the commissioner's office but they later said that the money was found inside it.

Principal of the college Anowar Hossain told The Daily Star that some criminals tied up his two night guards and broke open the doors of five rooms, ransacked five almiras, and turned its documents and files upside down. They also looted Tk 40,000 and two mobile phone sets of the guards.

Police said the criminals ransacked the education office hours after the incident of the college.

The incident at the education office is mysterious as the criminals ransacked its two rooms but they did not even touch any of the valuables including laptops and textbooks, Additional SP Mozzammel Hossain told our Natore correspondent.

The criminals entered the BADC godown around 2:00am after tying up its two night guards.

Rajshahi Divisional Commissioner M Hafizur Rahman Bhuiyan said criminals broke into the offices professionally one after another.

Contacted, Deputy Inspector General of Police in Rajshahi Mokhlesur Rahman suspected that the same gang was involved in all the incidents in Rajshahi and Natore.

He said police are trying to nab the criminals.

In Rajshahi, police picked up several people in this connection. They were being interrogated, said Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Commissioner Nawsher Ali.

Rajshahi Divisional Commissioner office sources said night guard of its office Shiekh Jamal has been suspended while LGED Executive Engineer AK Azad said a three-member probe committee has been formed to investigate the incident.

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