Six remanded over robbery plot posing as DB police

A Dhaka court on Thursday placed six accused on two-day remand each in a case filed over an alleged attempt to commit robbery in the capital’s Shahbagh area posing as members of the Detective Branch (DB) of police.

The accused are Jewel Mridha, 38, Md Ramiz Talukdar, 46, Jasim Talukdar alias Riaz, 46, Md Rahman Howlader, 56, Md Billal, 52, and Md Maruf, 38.

Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Awlad Hossain Mohammad Junaid passed the order after a hearing, said Sub-Inspector Shah Alam Mia of the Prosecution Division.

Earlier, DB police Sub-Inspector Md Anwar Hossain, also the investigating officer of the case, produced the accused before the court and sought seven days’ remand for each of them.

According to the case statement, on the night of 15 September, a DB team from the Mirpur division learnt through a tip-off that a group of criminals was preparing to commit robbery in the area under Shahbagh Police Station.

The DB team later conducted an operation at the spot and detained six of them as they tried to flee after sensing the presence of law enforcers. 

A toy pistol, an empty toy magazine, a black toy walkie-talkie, a pair of handcuffs and three jackets bearing the word “DB” were seized from their possession. 

A case was filed with Shahbagh Police Station over the incident.

DB police said the accused had long been committing robberies and mugging in different parts of Dhaka while posing as DB personnel and using law enforcement identities and uniforms.

The petition said they needed to be interrogated in custody to uncover details of the gang and arrest its absconding accomplices.