Imtiaz Ahmed , Narayanganj

Purbachal in Rupganj Upazila has now become a safe ground for criminals.

Dead bodies are being recovered one after another in the area. Due to the lack of law enforcement activities, crimes continue to occur frequently. Theft, robbery, mugging, road accidents, abductions, and violent clashes are becoming a daily occurrence in Purbachal. Law enforcement personnel are only seen at the scene after a crime has already taken place. Over the past few years, police have recovered nearly 30 dead bodies from different parts of Purbachal. The continuous discovery of corpses has created an atmosphere of fear among the residents.

Narayanganj District Assistant Superintendent of Police (Rupganj Circle), Mehedi Islam, stated that the police camp in Purbachal was recently established, and there is a shortage of manpower. However, efforts are being made to increase patrolling in the area.

Most recently, on Monday morning, January 6, police recovered the throat-slit body of a 29-year-old dancer named Rani Akter from a road in front of Gutiabo Government Primary School in Purbachal’s Sector 5. A sharp knife used in the murder was also recovered from the scene.

Earlier, on December 17, police recovered the bodies of Shahinur Rahman Kaby and one of his friends from the lake under Bridge No. 4 in Sector 2 of Purbachal.

As soon as the sun sets, Purbachal plunges into complete darkness and eerie silence. The deeper into the night, the more desolate and ghostly the environment becomes. Although streetlights exist along the 300-foot road, there are no lights on the inner roads of Purbachal, leaving them in complete darkness.

As a result, a wave of crimes continues across Purbachal. Due to the vast area and inadequate law enforcement surveillance, murders, robberies, and various other crimes are steadily rising.

In the past eight years, 33 dead bodies have been recovered from Purbachal. On the morning of November 13, police found the dismembered body of industrialist Jasim Uddin in a lake in Sector 5 of Purbachal. The next afternoon, three more pieces of his body were found in Sector 17.

On September 24 of the same year, a human skeleton wrapped in cloth was discovered under Bridge No. 4 in Sector 10. On April 24, 2017, the body of a young woman was found inside a briefcase in Sector 13.

On September 14, 2018, the bullet-ridden bodies of three young men—Sohag, Shimul, and Azad—were discovered under Bridge No. 11. Later that year, on November 7, the body of a woman was recovered from Sector 10.

Local resident Israfil Hossain stated that shops and restaurants around Purbachal remain open until late at night. People from both Dhaka and other districts come here to engage in criminal activities, resulting in frequent muggings.

Additionally, reckless driving and overspeeding are causing frequent fatal accidents. Dead bodies are being discovered in various parts of Purbachal from time to time. Currently, the residents of Purbachal are living in constant fear.