Police have launched an investigation into the alleged mugging of Tk 1.21 crore from petrol pump employees while the money was being taken to a nearby Pubali Bank branch for deposit in Uttara on Sunday.
The manager of DL Petrol Pump, Salam, filed a case with Airport Police Station on Monday against several unidentified people in connection with the incident.
According to the case statement and police sources, the incident occurred between 10:00am and 10:30am opposite the Rapid Action Battalion-1 headquarters in Uttara when the money was being taken to the bank.
Several suspected muggers riding three motorcycles intercepted a mini covered van carrying the money. They allegedly rammed the vehicle to force it to stop and then threatened the occupants with sharp weapons before snatching the cash and fleeing on motorcycles.
One petrol pump employee was injured in the attack.
Officer-in-Charge of Airport Police Station Kamrul Hasan Talukder confirmed the filing of the case and said the suspects have not yet been identified.
Police could not identify the registration numbers of the motorcycles used by the suspects either, he said.
The OC said several law enforcement units were working to identify and arrest those involved and recover the snatched money.
According to petrol pump officials, DL Petrol Pump records daily sales of around Tk 45-50 lakh. Under the usual practice, the day's sales proceeds are taken to the bank for deposit between 10:00am and 10:30am.
As banks remain closed on Fridays and Saturdays, money collected over those two days is deposited together on the next working day, Sunday. As a result, a comparatively larger amount of cash was being taken to the bank on Sunday.
Police said the petrol pump authorities have been depositing money at the bank in the same manner for the past 22 years.
The OC said the authorities are generally expected to inform police when taking a large amount of money to a bank for deposit, but they did not do so on this occasion.
The case statement put the amount of money looted at Tk 1,21,25,000.
Sources concerned said Tasin Akter Haque, son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s sister Khurshid Jahan Haque, also a former minister, is associated with the ownership of DL Petrol Pump.