Journalist Recovers Snatched Phone Within 14 Hours
Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the snatching of a mobile phone from a journalist in Mohammadpur, Dhaka. The arrestees—Yusuf, Siam, and Johurul—were apprehended in separate drives conducted within 14 hours of the incident, and the stolen phone was successfully recovered.
The operations were carried out under the overall supervision of Tejgaon Division Deputy Commissioner (DC) Ibn Mizan and Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Jewel Rana. Mohammadpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Ali Iftekhar Hasan and several police teams led the raids, detaining the suspects on Friday afternoon.
The incident took place around 11:30 PM on Thursday, July 25, near Basila Road, when the mobile phone was forcefully snatched. However, after failing to receive prompt assistance from law enforcement, the victim—a journalist from a national daily—was further subjected to alleged harassment at the police station. Frustrated, he shared his experience on social media, and the post quickly went viral, drawing public outrage and placing pressure on the police administration to respond.
Mohammad Shakhwat Husain Wadud, sub-editor of the Daily Bonik Barta, described the harrowing ordeal. “At the three-way intersection in Mohammadpur, the muggers attacked me with a machete and snatched away my mobile phone and wallet,” he recounted. Upon reporting the matter to the local police station, he said he was ignored by the duty officer. Eventually, he managed to speak to the OC, who allegedly questioned, “Why are you carrying such an expensive phone when I myself use a cheaper one?”
Though the OC later assigned a sub-inspector (SI) to assist, the situation worsened. Wadud accompanied the SI to the area, where he spotted the muggers casually socializing. Despite pointing them out, the SI allegedly chose to speak with unrelated individuals and returned without taking any action. Wadud was then told to go home.
Following public criticism and scrutiny over the mishandling of the case, four police personnel from Mohammadpur Police Station were relieved of duty. They include SI Jasim Uddin, ASI Anarul, and constables Majedur Rahman and Md. Nurunnabi.
The prompt recovery of the stolen phone and arrest of the suspects came only after intense public backlash, raising concerns about initial police negligence and the need for greater accountability in law enforcement response.
