Eyewitness accounts
Rumay went to the mosque and grabbed the manager and robbed the bank
Ghazi Feroze
From Ruma (Bandarban).
Update: 03 April 2024, 14:49
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KNF robbed the Sonali Bank branch in Bandarban’s Ruma. Captured by Manager Photo: Daily Star News.
Members of the new armed group Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) in Ruma, Bandarban, abducted the bank manager from the local mosque before robbing the Sonali Bank branch. Then they entered the bank and took the money in the vault.
This information is known from the witnesses of the bank robbery incident. Ruma Upazila Mosque Imam Nurul Islam to Daily Star News
He said, “20 to 25 people with weapons entered the mosque. At that time we were all in Esha prayer. After completing the obligatory prayer, I saw them taking everyone’s mobile phones.
Nurul Islam also said that the KNF members were looking for the bank manager. At one stage he was captured.
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After Ruma, two banks were robbed in Thanchi, Bandarban
Security increased in Ruma after a robbery at the Sonali Bank branch. Ruma Upazila Parishad area of Bandarban today Wednesday Photo: Daily Star News.
Armed members of the KNF in Ruma carried out a robbery for an hour on Tuesday night around 8:30. This incident happened in the Parishad Chatter area of Ruma Upazila.
According to local law enforcement sources, KNF members took away two SMGs (light machine guns) and 60 bullets, 8 Chinese rifles and 320 bullets, 4 shotguns and 35 cartridges and one of the two vaults of the Sonali Bank branch was broken and cash was taken away. The amount was not immediately known.
two banks were robbed in Thanchi, Bandarban
However, Sonali Bank Bandarban Regional Director Mohammad Osman Gani told Prothom Alo on Tuesday night that the Ruma branch should have Tk 1.6 million.
Meanwhile Bandarban District Superintendent of Police Saikat Shaheen Daily Star News
K said, efforts are underway to recover the looted weapons.
On Wednesday afternoon, it was seen that Sonali Bank Ruma branch is 200 yards away from Ruma Upazila Parishad on Bandarban Ruma road. Next to it is the Upazila Mosque. All around are high mountains.
After the robbery on Tuesday night, additional police security has been ensured in front of the bank and the Upazila Parishad. There are also RAB members. Deputy Commissioner of Bandarban Shah Mujahid Uddin, District Police Superintendent Shaheen Saikat and senior officials visited the scene.
Bangladesh
After Ruma, two banks were robbed in Thanchi, Bandarban
Security increased in Ruma after a robbery at the Sonali Bank branch. Ruma Upazila Parishad area of Bandarban today Wednesday Photo: Daily Star News.
Armed members of the KNF in Ruma carried out a robbery for an hour on Tuesday night around 8:30. This incident happened in the Parishad Chatter area of Ruma Upazila.
According to local law enforcement sources, KNF members took away two SMGs (light machine guns) and 60 bullets, 8 Chinese rifles and 320 bullets, 4 shotguns and 35 cartridges and one of the two vaults of the Sonali Bank branch was broken and cash was taken away. The amount was not immediately known.
However, Sonali Bank Bandarban Regional Director Mohammad Osman Gani told Prothom Alo on Tuesday night that the Ruma branch should have Tk 1.6 million.
Meanwhile Bandarban District Superintendent of Police Saikat Shaheen Daily Star News
K said, efforts are underway to recover the looted weapons.
robbed in Thanchi, Bandarban
On Wednesday afternoon, it was seen that Sonali Bank Ruma branch is 200 yards away from Ruma Upazila Parishad on Bandarban Ruma road. Next to it is the Upazila Mosque. All around are high mountains.
After the robbery on Tuesday night, additional police security has been ensured in front of the bank and the Upazila Parishad. There are also RAB members. Deputy Commissioner of Bandarban Shah Mujahid Uddin, District Police Superintendent Shaheen Saikat and senior officials visited the scene.
The glass of the table inside the bank was broken. The vault room is random. Photo: Daily Star News at Sonali Bank branch in Ruma Upazila of Bandarban
There is a two-storied building at the entrance to the Upazila Parishad office on Bandarban Ruma road. Government officials live on its ground floor. On one side of the second floor is the Sonali Bank Ruma branch. On the other side, there are 10 policemen who are in charge of bank security.
Thanchi, Bandarban
Police Constable Rupan Sheel, who witnessed the incident, told Daily Star News, “I and Constable Tauhid were on guard in front of the bank. Suddenly I saw some uniformed armed men. They put us in the barracks. They immediately took our weapons and mobile phones. He said, all the policemen were made to sit with their heads down. In this way, the barracks were held for about an hour.
At Sonali Bank branch today, it was seen that the glass of the bank table was broken. The vault room is random. Members of the CID (Criminal Investigation Department) Crime Scene Unit are collecting evidence.
An official of a government agency in Ruma Upazila on the ground floor of the building told Prothom Alo on the condition of anonymity that the armed men were wearing uniforms. KNF was written on the clothes.
200 yards north of Sonali Bank is the Ruma Upazila Parishad building and the residence of the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO). Eight Ansar members are in charge of security there.
After Ruma, two banks were robbed
Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defense Force Chittagong Deputy Director General Mohammad Saifullah Russell told Daily Star News at the scene.
He said, out of the eight Ansar members in charge of them, four were injured. The gunmen looted their 4 shotguns and 35 bullets. He also said that Ansar members were not in charge of bank security. The Ansar members could resist if they attacked the bank, so the gunmen attacked the Ansar members beforehand and looted their weapons and ammunition.
According to law enforcement sources, hundreds of KNF members participated in the robbery. Most of them were wearing uniforms.
Abdur Razzak, a local resident, said that before the bank robbery, armed men barricaded both sides in front of the upazila parishad office on the Bandarban-Ruma road. The area is secluded and there was no electricity at the time of the incident.
The bank manager was not found
Ruma Upazila Government Officers-Employees Parishad held a human chain program around 11 o’clock on Wednesday to demand the safe rescue of the bank officer and the safety of the government officials-employeesPhoto: Daily Star News.
Locals say that the KNF gunmen took Sonali Bank Ruma branch manager Nizamuddin away. He was not found until this afternoon.
Meanwhile, Ruma Upazila Government Officers-Employees Parishad held a human chain program today at around 11 am to demand the safe rescue of Nizamuddin and the safety of government officials-employees. The organization’s president Sukanta Deb, general secretary Debbrat Barua and others were present in this human chain in the upazila parishad area.
President of Ruma Upazila Government Officials-Karmchari Parishad Sukant Deb told Prothom Alo, “We are in extreme fear.”
robbed in Thanchi, Bandarban
Meanwhile, armed men robbed two branches of Sonali Bank and Bangladesh Krishi Bank in Bandarban’s Thanchi upazila headquarter at around one o’clock today.
Chairman of Thanchi Sadar Union Parishad, Ong Pru Mro told Prothom Alo that at around one o’clock in the morning, terrorists entered the market area in a three moon car from the direction of Shahjahanpur in Thanchi Sadar. Then they entered Sonali Bank and Bangladesh Krishi Bank adjacent to Thanchi High School and left with the cash they got.
KNF started operations from mid-2022. Law enforcers had earlier told the media that members of Jamaat Ansar Fil Hind Al Sharqiya, a new militant outfit in the plains, had received armed training at their hideout in the hills.
Law enforcement forces raided that hideout last year and arrested several members of Jamaat-ul-Ansar Phil Hindal Sharqiya and KNF.
A ‘peace establishment’ committee was formed in May last year under the leadership of Zilla Parishad Chairman Kyashihla Marma to bring KNF members back to normal life. The second meeting with that committee was held on March 5 in Bethel Para.
two banks were robbed in Thanchi, Bandarban
The glass of the table inside the bank was broken. The vault room is random. Photo: Daily Star News at Sonali Bank branch in Ruma Upazila of Bandarban
There is a two-storied building at the entrance to the Upazila Parishad office on Bandarban Ruma road. Government officials live on its ground floor. On one side of the second floor is the Sonali Bank Ruma branch. On the other side, there are 10 policemen who are in charge of bank security.
Police Constable Rupan Sheel, who witnessed the incident, told Daily Star News, “I and Constable Tauhid were on guard in front of the bank. Suddenly I saw some uniformed armed men. They put us in the barracks. They immediately took our weapons and mobile phones. He said, all the policemen were made to sit with their heads down. In this way, the barracks were held for about an hour.
At Sonali Bank branch today, it was seen that the glass of the bank table was broken. The vault room is random. Members of the CID (Criminal Investigation Department) Crime Scene Unit are collecting evidence.
An official of a government agency in Ruma Upazila on the ground floor of the building told Prothom Alo on the condition of anonymity that the armed men were wearing uniforms. KNF was written on the clothes.
Rumay went to the mosque
200 yards north of Sonali Bank is the Ruma Upazila Parishad building and the residence of the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO). Eight Ansar members are in charge of security there.
Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defense Force Chittagong Deputy Director General Mohammad Saifullah Russell told Daily Star News at the scene.
He said, out of the eight Ansar members in charge of them, four were injured. The gunmen looted their 4 shotguns and 35 bullets. He also said that Ansar members were not in charge of bank security. The Ansar members could resist if they attacked the bank, so the gunmen attacked the Ansar members beforehand and looted their weapons and ammunition.
According to law enforcement sources, hundreds of KNF members participated in the robbery. Most of them were wearing uniforms.
Abdur Razzak, a local resident, said that before the bank robbery, armed men barricaded both sides in front of the upazila parishad office on the Bandarban-Ruma road. The area is secluded and there was no electricity at the time of the incident.
The bank manager was not found
Ruma Upazila Government Officers-Employees Parishad held a human chain program around 11 o’clock on Wednesday to demand the safe rescue of the bank officer and the safety of the government officials-employeesPhoto: Daily Star News.
Locals say that the KNF gunmen took Sonali Bank Ruma branch manager Nizamuddin away. He was not found until this afternoon.
Meanwhile, Ruma Upazila Government Officers-Employees Parishad held a human chain program today at around 11 am to demand the safe rescue of Nizamuddin and the safety of government officials-employees. The organization’s president Sukanta Deb, general secretary Debbrat Barua and others were present in this human chain in the upazila parishad area.
President of Ruma Upazila Government Officials-Karmchari Parishad Sukant Deb told Prothom Alo, “We are in extreme fear.”
Meanwhile, armed men robbed two branches of Sonali Bank and Bangladesh Krishi Bank in Bandarban’s Thanchi upazila headquarter at around one o’clock today.
Rumay went to the mosque
Chairman of Thanchi Sadar Union Parishad, Ong Pru Mro told Prothom Alo that at around one o’clock in the morning, terrorists entered the market area in a three moon car from the direction of Shahjahanpur in Thanchi Sadar. Then they entered Sonali Bank and Bangladesh Krishi Bank adjacent to Thanchi High School and left with the cash they got.
KNF started operations from mid-2022. Law enforcers had earlier told the media that members of Jamaat Ansar Fil Hind Al Sharqiya, a new militant outfit in the plains, had received armed training at their hideout in the hills.
Law enforcement forces raided that hideout last year and arrested several members of Jamaat-ul-Ansar Phil Hindal Sharqiya and KNF.
A ‘peace establishment’ committee was formed in May last year under the leadership of Zilla Parishad Chairman Kyashihla Marma to bring KNF members back to normal life. The second meeting with that committee was held on March 5 in Bethel Para.
