Snatching has become rampant in the capital. In many cases, people do not want to lodge a complaint at the police station, because police do not take any action. At times, the snatchers become violent., they kill people. Then only the law enforcement forces get worried. But few days later the situation becomes same.
In the capital, snatching is more common in the morning, evening and late at night. It is known that there are more than 150 snatching spots in Dhaka city. Police patrols should be increased at all these spots at the mentioned times. If a VIP person's mobile phone set and money are snatched, the police recover it quickly. It means that the law enforcement agencies are not unaware of the identity of the snatchers. In most cases, their networks are known to the police. The cops have been instructed to maintain vigil in their respective areas and identify the troubled zones.
At present the law and order situation in the country has improved. The incidence of homicides has been relatively low. There is no such thing as political instability. But strict measures are not being taken to stop all the incidents of theft and snatching that are happening in isolation. Snatching has increased during pandemic as people's income and employment have declined.
This could also come to an end if the police take immediate action. Nights become frightening for the fear of "flying" snatchers" said a report published on Ittefaq on February 22. They arrive on a motorbike or a private car, snatch instantly and flee quickly through the empty road. Pedestrians and rickshaw riders have become their main target. If anybody wants to stop them, they stab immediately.
According to the crime department of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, 145 cases of snatching were registered in 2021. And in 2020 there were 16 cases. In 2014 and 2015, there were 265 and 205 cases in this regard respectively. Such incidents are more common during times of political instability. Various groups of snatchers are active in the corners of the capital. Ordinary people should also be aware of this.
Incidents such as snatching and robbery also occur in various mega cities and small towns in the developed countries. But cops take action after the incident in those countries. People who come Dhaka for various activities every day are often caught by the snatchers. We have been able to stop the violence of pickpockets. Now we have to stop the snatchers.
Alarmed by the steady rise in snatching incidents, cops should launch crackdown. Police force should introduce a new law to tackle cases of snatching in the capital. The cops should repair faulty CCTV cameras at important points of the roads. CCTV cameras will also have to be activated or replaced in different homes and apartments. Train passengers are often snatched at dawn. This requires adjustment of train and bus schedules. It is necessary to change the schedule and start from 7-8 in the morning. The use of modern technology and tactics of police department should be increased to catch the snatchers. Snatchers should know that if they indulge in any trick, the police will make them pay. Police have to work towards to disclose the masks of godfathers of the snatchers.
