Following the severe injury of a police inspector by muggers wielding sharp weapons in Khulna city, the District Police has issued an order prohibiting police personnel from moving alone at night.

This directive was conveyed via an official letter signed by the Superintendent of Police (SP) of the District Police’s Special Branch (DSB) last night, Friday (October 9).

The directive states that special operations are currently underway in the Rupsha, Terokhada, Dighalia, and Batiaghata police station areas, considering the prevailing law and order situation and recent incidents. Instances of terrorist attacks on law enforcement personnel have also been observed recently. In light of the overall situation, police personnel—whether engaged in special operations or other duties—have been ordered not to travel alone at night to ensure their personal safety. Unit in-charges have been instructed to take necessary measures in this regard.

Copies of the letter have been sent to all relevant offices and police stations within the district.

This ban on moving alone at night was imposed to ensure the safety of every member of the district police following that unfortunate incident. The precaution aims to prevent any member from falling victim to muggers after completing their duties.

Speaking to the media, Khulna Superintendent of Police Sarkar Omar Faruk explained that late last Thursday night, a police inspector was critically injured by muggers using sharp weapons while returning from a special operation at Rupsha Police Station. He was traveling home by rickshaw and was carrying two mobile phones and a wallet. He encountered the muggers in front of Khulna Collegiate Girls’ School; he likely attempted to resist them at the time. He was in plainclothes. He was sent to Dhaka in critical condition and is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital there.

The Superintendent of Police reiterated that the ban on moving alone at night was issued to ensure the safety of every district police member following the unfortunate incident, aiming to prevent personnel from falling prey to muggers after their shifts. When asked if this directive conveyed a sense of insecurity, government official Omar Faruk explained, “This is essentially an internal communication. One cannot include every detail in such a letter; the primary purpose was simply to ensure that no police personnel fall victim to muggers.”

It is worth noting that around 2:30 AM on Friday (late Thursday night), Police Inspector Shah Alam (43) was attacked by muggers in front of Khulna Collegiate School on Khan Jahan Ali Road in Khulna city.

According to police sources, he was traveling to the city by rickshaw after completing a special operation in Rupsha Upazila. Three muggers intercepted him in front of Collegiate School and snatched his money and mobile phone. When he resisted, the muggers struck the wrists of both his hands with sharp machetes. Police later rescued him and took him to the hospital; however, as his condition deteriorated, he was sent to Dhaka for advanced medical treatment.

Earlier, the Khulna District Police had launched a special operation on Tuesday night aimed at arresting criminals and recovering illegal weapons. This initiative followed two incidents: the shooting death of Akhtar Dhali—whose son, Joy Dhali, had been murdered in Rupsha a month and a half prior—and the fatal shooting of a man at a tea stall in the Formaishkhana area of ​​Dighalia.