Banglalink sales representative Al Amin hacked and robbed of cash and SIM cards at Kathaltala in Bagerhat Sadar, admitted to hospital

Al Amin Islam (35), a sales representative of Banglalink, was hacked and robbed of cash and SIM cards in Bagerhat Sadar upazila. He was admitted to the 250-bed Bagerhat District Hospital in a seriously injured condition.

He was attacked on Wednesday afternoon (28 October) on the road in front of the Kathaltala football field in Shaat Gombuj union of Bagerhat Sadar upazila.

The injured Al Amin Islam is the son of Goldar Sheikh of Karapara union in the same upazila. He works as a retail sales officer (RSO) for Banglalink Distribution.

Another Banglalink salesman, Shariful Islam, said Al Amin had finished his market work in the C&B Bazar area and was returning to town to deposit money in the bank. On the way, at Kathaltala, three men on a green FZ motorcycle blocked his path.

According to Shariful Islam, the three men struck Al Amin on the right side of his neck with a Chinese axe. When he fell, the robbers took the cash and SIM cards he was carrying. On hearing the news, Shariful Islam reached the spot and admitted Al Amin to hospital.

The manager of the Banglalink Distribution House said the robbers hacked him with a Chinese axe and took the bag containing money and SIM cards. Al Amin was carrying recharge sales money, but how much money there was could not be said at the moment, the manager said.

The distribution house manager added that this was not the first robbery targeting sales staff in Bagerhat; several such incidents had taken place in the last month and a half. Workers of bKash, Dutch-Bangla agent banking and various other businesses have been robbed.

Dr Sheikh Sohelur Rahman, a doctor at the emergency department of the 250-bed Bagerhat District Hospital, said Al Amin had a sharp-weapon injury on his neck. He was admitted after primary treatment and was out of danger for the time being.

Shamsul Arefin, officer-in-charge of Bagerhat Model Police Station, said police had visited the scene and efforts were under way to identify and arrest the criminals. No complaint had yet been filed by the Banglalink Distribution House over the incident, and legal action was in process.

Earlier, on 3 September, more than Tk 200,000 was snatched at weapon-point from a bKash worker at Heremer Mor in Bhadrapara village of Bemarta union in Bagerhat Sadar upazila. At least 10 robberies have taken place in the past two months in various upazilas of the district, including Chitalmari.