Police in Bagerhat have arrested and placed a man on one-day remand for questioning in connection with the theft of a commercial pickup from a filling station on the Dhaka-Khulna highway in Mollahat upazila. The arrested man, Amin Mia, reportedly provided information during remand that led police to identify two more people allegedly involved in the theft. The stolen pickup, however, has yet to be recovered.
According to the case statement filed by vehicle owner Md Maruf Mir, his Mahindra Bolero pickup, registered as Dhaka Metro-No-19-2049, is worth around Tk 7 lakh. Mir purchased the vehicle on loan installments and used it for business purposes. The statement said driver Mursalin left the pickup on the southern side of Rahima Filling Station on the Dhaka-Khulna highway in Mollahat at around 4pm on July 17 and returned home later that night.
When Mursalin returned the following morning, he found the vehicle missing and informed the owner after searching the area. CCTV footage from the filling station showed a person taking the pickup at around 1:40am and driving towards Dhaka, according to the case statement. A theft case was subsequently filed against unidentified persons at Mollahat Police Station.
Mollahat Police Station Officer-in-Charge Kazi Ramjanul Haque said Amin Mia had been arrested in connection with the case and placed on one-day remand. "He provided important information during remand and named two others allegedly involved in the theft. Efforts are underway to arrest them and recover the stolen vehicle," he said.
Meanwhile, owner Maruf Mir said he was facing financial difficulties following the theft as the vehicle had been purchased through loan installments. He said the loss was also affecting his business and urged police to recover the pickup and bring those responsible to justice.
The incident has caused concern among local residents, particularly as the vehicle was allegedly stolen from a CCTV-covered filling station beside a major highway. They urged police to use the information obtained during the investigation to recover the vehicle and arrest all those involved. The theft of commercial vehicles from highways is a significant concern in Bangladesh, often impacting businesses reliant on these vehicles for their operations.
