Cattle Robbery on Highway After Setting Up Barricade, 3 Abducted Including Driver

District Correspondent

In the Muladuli-Sheikhpara area of Ishwardi, a group of robbers looted a truck carrying 17 cattle by setting up a barricade on the highway and holding the occupants at gunpoint. The robbers tied up the driver, helper, and another person and abducted them before abandoning them by the roadside in Charghat, Rajshahi.

The robbery occurred at approximately 2 a.m. on Tuesday night on the Dashuria-Natore-Rajshahi regional highway in Ishwardi upazila.

Ishwardi Police Station Sub-Inspector (SI) Md. Sharifuzzaman confirmed the incident, stating, “The looted truck has already been recovered from near the Islamic University in Kushtia.”

However, he mentioned that the cattle have not yet been recovered. The cattle were being transported from Dinajpur to another district for Eid-ul-Adha markets, he added.

According to police and local sources, the truck was transporting cattle from Dinajpur. At around 2 a.m., when it reached Muladuli in Ishwardi, seven to eight robbers blocked its path using another truck. They then held the driver, helper, and their associate at gunpoint, tied their hands, feet, and mouths, and fled with the cattle. The robbers later crossed the Lalon Shah Bridge and headed toward Veramara.

SI Sharifuzzaman said, “As soon as the robbery was reported at night, police began extensive operations. CCTV footage from the Lalon Shah Bridge showed the robbers crossing the bridge toward Veramara. Meanwhile, another truck accompanying them took a different route.”

He further said, “It is suspected that the three abducted individuals were in that truck. The robbers abandoned that truck along with the hostages by the roadside in Charghat, Rajshahi. In the morning, the driver and the two others reported the incident to Ishwardi Police Station.”

Later, police were informed by phone that the truck carrying the stolen cattle had been left abandoned near the Islamic University in Kushtia. Upon arriving at the location, police recovered the truck and brought it to the station.

Inspector (Investigation) of Ishwardi Police Station Monirul Islam said, “An intensive investigation is underway regarding the robbery. Special operations have also begun to apprehend the robbers. Efforts are ongoing to recover the cattle. Filing a case regarding the incident is in process.”

The incident has caused a stir in the area, and locals have expressed concerns about highway security.

Police stated that efforts to identify and apprehend the robbers are ongoing through analysis of CCTV footage and the use of technology.