Robbers Block Road with Trees, Rob 20 Vehicles in Pabna

A daring group of robbers blocked a road with felled trees in Pabna's Santhia area, launching a brazen attack on at least 20 vehicles, including buses, trucks, and cars, in a shocking crime spree early this morning.

The incident occurred around 1:30 a.m. on March 1, near the Chechania Bridge on the Pabna-Santhia road, when the robbers obstructed traffic by placing large tree trunks across the road, halting a truck carrying goods. This blockade quickly stranded 15 to 20 vehicles, trapping the passengers and drivers.

According to Officer-in-Charge (OC) Saidur Rahman of Santhia Police Station, police were immediately dispatched to the scene upon receiving the alarm. “We are treating the matter with utmost seriousness and have initiated investigations,” Rahman told the media.

However, as the vehicles came to a halt, 30-40 armed robbers, wielding machetes, knives, sticks, and axes, descended on the stranded vehicles. For over an hour, they terrorized the passengers, looting mobile phones, cash, and other valuables. They also vandalized vehicles when drivers hesitated to open doors and assaulted several passengers and transport workers.

One of the victims, Islamic speaker Abdus Salam, shared a harrowing account of the incident in a Facebook video. "The robbers placed tree trunks on the road to stop our vehicle. As soon as they surrounded us, they attacked, holding knives to the driver’s throat and stomach. We begged them not to harm anyone, and luckily, no one in our vehicle was hurt. They returned two of my mobile phones after taking everything else,” he recounted.

Salam also described how a migrant worker, traveling home in a microbus, was severely assaulted during the attack. “The robbers beat several people and took everything they could,” he said.

Local residents expressed frustration over the delayed response from the authorities. While police arrived after the robbers had left, the robbery spree lasted for nearly 90 minutes. Many locals believe the crime could have been prevented if the police had acted more swiftly.

The robbery has left the community shaken, and residents are now calling for better law enforcement presence to prevent such incidents in the future.