Armed Bandits Rob Mobile Financial Service Agents of 5.7 Million Taka in Coxs Bazar Highway Heist
Photo Collected
Armed robbers staged a brazen daylight heist on a passenger bus in Cox’s Bazar on Sunday, intercepting the vehicle on the Teknaf-Cox’s Bazar highway to steal 5.7 million taka in cash from two mobile banking agents. The suspects, who used a makeshift barricade of nail-studded logs to force the bus to a stop near the 14th bridge in the Damdamia area, left one agent critically injured during the assault.
According to Teknaf Model Police Station officer-in-charge Saiful Islam, the incident occurred at approximately 1:45 p.m. as the Palki Paribahan bus was traveling toward Cox’s Bazar. Witnesses reported that a group of 15 to 20 armed individuals, some wearing masks, surrounded the bus and fired warning shots before storming the vehicle. The attackers specifically targeted two sales representatives from the mobile banking service bKash, assaulting them and using knives to secure the two bags containing the cash.
One of the victims, 26-year-old Mohammad Al-Arman, sustained serious stab wounds to his arm and back. He was initially transported to the Teknaf Upazila Health Complex before being transferred to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital in critical condition. A second agent, Ekram Hossain, was also beaten and threatened at gunpoint; he is currently receiving treatment at a local health facility.
Bus driver Foyezul Karim noted that the precision of the attack, which included the use of nail-studded logs to disable the vehicle, suggested a high level of coordination. He stated that such a daylight robbery has not occurred on this stretch of highway in over a decade. Passengers reported being held captive while the masked assailants systematically identified the bKash agents and seized the funds.
The business owner, Abdul Karim, confirmed that the funds were intended for distribution to various retail points along the route. He had dispatched the two agents with 5.7 million taka—split into portions of 2.2 million and 3.5 million—to serve clients in Hnila, Leda, and Whykong. Suspecting that the shipment of cash was compromised by internal information, Karim suggested the robbers may have been tipped off regarding the agents’ travel plans.
Following the heist, law enforcement agencies including the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and police launched a joint operation to recover the stolen money and identify the perpetrators. As of late Sunday afternoon, no arrests had been made. Authorities have taken the bus driver and his assistant into custody for questioning as the investigation continues, and the owner is in the process of filing a formal criminal complaint.
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