Armed robbers loot Tk31.5 lakh goods, cash from knitting factory in Gazipur
Five employees were held hostage during the overnight raid.
An armed gang looted yarn worth around Tk30 lakh and Tk1.50 lakh in cash from a knitting factory in Gazipur's Kashimpur after holding five security personnel and employees hostage early today (22 August).
The robbery took place around 3am at Mirza Apparels Limited, a knitting factory in the Bara Bhabanipur area of Kashimpur, confirmed Gazipur Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner (Crime - South) Shakil Ahmed.
According to police and factory officials, a gang of 10–15 armed robbers entered the factory by climbing over the boundary wall and then cutting the window grille of the main building.
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The robbers were carrying local weapons and foreign-made pistols, according to the officials.
After entering the factory, they held security personnel and employees at gunpoint and tied the hands and feet of five people with jute rope and fabric.
They then broke open the gate lock and fled with 7,350kg of yarn and Tk1.50 lakh from the cash box.
Factory Managing Director Anisul Haque said he was informed about the incident around 3am.
"The robbers took around Tk30 lakh worth of yarn and Tk1.50 lakh in cash from the factory. The incident has caused panic in the surrounding areas," he said.
Rabbi, an assistant knitting operator at the factory, said they were inside the facility when the armed gang suddenly entered around 3am.
"They tied our hands and feet and held us hostage at gunpoint before taking the yarn and cash and fleeing," he said.
He said fear has spread among workers at nearby factories and local residents following the incident.
Kashimpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Molla Khalid did not answer repeated phone calls seeking comment.
However, the Deputy Commissioner Shakil Ahmed said, "We are investigating the incident with utmost importance. The absence of CCTV cameras at such a large factory has created some challenges for the investigation. However, efforts are under way to identify and arrest those involved and recover the looted goods as soon as possible."
