Have you alone gone out for any urgent work? On the way, all of a sudden, some unknown persons may exchange pleasantries and start to converse with you. At one point of conversation, they may want to know your name and address.
The momentary polite talk may cause you to lose your cash and valuables you possess in hand of the unknown people.
Although it sounds unrealistic, different cycles called ‘Khar Parties’ have been committing such cheating with passers-by in the capital and elsewhere in the country for a long time.
They have now become more active ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, said sources in Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP). They are mainly targeting women.
The DMP said a number of victims have recently lodged complaints about such incidents with different police stations in the capital.
Law enforcement agencies in plainclothes have now enhanced their vigilant on different shopping malls and on roads.
When contacted, Deputy Commissioner (Media and Public Relations) of the DMP Faruk Hossain told the Daily Sun that they were working with the matter.
Earlier, some members of such gangs were arrested in Hatirjheel area of the capital, he said, adding if police could arrest the members of the gangs anew, they could be able to gain idea about their strategy.
When contacted, Director (Legal and Media Wing) of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) Khandaker Al Moin told the Daily Sun that they were yet to receive any such complaint.
“If we get complaint, we will look into this,” he said.
Let’s take a recent example of being victimised in hand of ‘Khar Party.’
One Maryam Rahman said her husband was admitted to Kidney Foundation Hospital in Mirpur. “I was going to a medicine store to buy some medicine for my husband. On the way, a youth asked me about the address of another hospital, I showed him the hospital.”
“While returning to my husband buying the medicine, the youth and another started talking to me. The youths were telling me that Heart Foundation is helping the poor. If I went to the foundation and tell its authorities that they are poor, they will get help from it,” she said.
Their flexible request chanted her and she with them began to walk towards the foundation.
When they reached in front of the foundation, the youths gave her a mobile phone and Tk 500 and asked her to wait.
The youths entered it and returned shortly. Later, they took the mobile and the money from her and asked her to enter it and talk to a doctor.
Just then, they asked her to take off her gold earrings.
Believing their words, the woman did so and gave those to them. Taking those, they asked her to go inside and talk to the doctor.
“Shortly after going forward to talk to the doctor, I looked back and saw that the two young men were not there,” she said.
The victim later on filed a complaint at Mirpur Model Police Station.
