Khulna police bar officers from travelling alone at night

Khulna district police have instructed personnel not to travel alone at night following a serious attack on a police inspector by suspected muggers while he was returning home after a special operation.

The directive was issued on Friday night (October 9) in an official letter signed by the superintendent of police of the district’s Special Branch. Copies were sent to relevant police offices and all police stations under the district police.

The order cited the prevailing law and order situation, recent criminal incidents and attacks on law enforcement personnel. It specifically referred to ongoing special operations in Rupsa, Terokhada, Dighalia and Batiaghata upazilas and instructed unit commanders to ensure the safety of officers deployed on operations and other duties.

Khulna Superintendent of Police Sarker Omar Faruk said the decision followed an attack on a police inspector late Thursday night as he returned from a special operation in Rupsa.

The victim, Inspector Shah Alam, 43, was travelling by rickshaw in plain clothes when three suspected muggers intercepted him in front of Khulna Collegiate School on Khan Jahan Ali Road in the city. They allegedly snatched his money and mobile phones before attacking him with a sharp machete when he resisted, leaving injuries to both wrists.

Police rescued him and took him to hospital. As his condition deteriorated, he was transferred to a private hospital in Dhaka, where he remains under treatment.

Faruk said the restriction was a precautionary measure intended to prevent officers from falling victim to mugging while returning home after duty. He described the directive as an internal police communication aimed at protecting personnel.

The special operations began on Tuesday night as part of efforts to arrest criminals and recover illegal firearms, following a series of killings in the district.

On Monday, Akhtar Dhali was shot dead in Rupsa, about one and a half months after his son, Joy Dhali, was killed. Another person was shot dead the same day at a tea stall in the Formaysakhana area of Dighalia.

The latest directive comes as police continue operations to address the deteriorating security situation in parts of Khulna district.