The New Nation - Internet Edition

Our Correspondent, Chittagong

Armed snatchers looted Taka more than half a million in cash from two employees of the local branch of Bangladesh Rural advancement Committee - BRAC - at city's Colonel Hat area under Pahartali police station on Thursday.

The incident is shrouded by mystery as the carriers did not raise any protest and the incident took place without any brawl.

Police neither could arrest the snatchers nor recovered the looted money till the time of filing this report.

Top officials of the NGO including regional manager and area manager rushed to the police station soon after the incident.

Police primarily suspected that the employees might have been involved in the incident and termed it somewhat preplanned.

Police quoting the officials said that two employees of the NGO - Accountant Jashim Uddin and Office Staff Monirul Islam went out from the branch at about 1:25 p.m.

They were assigned to deposit Taka 660 thousand at the Colonel Hat branch of the Agrani Bank. When they proceeded only ten yards from their office, two snatchers equipped with a pistol swooped on them.

One of the employees ran away from the spot and entered into the office fearing gun shot at that time. The snatchers snatched away the bag from another employee and ran away hurriedly from the spot by a CNG-run auto-rickshaw.

The employees claimed that the snatchers at gunpoint took away the bag from them.

Officer-in-Charge of the Pahartali police station Mujibur Rahman told that they were suspecting the involvement of two employees because of their inconsistent statements.

The accountant Jashim Uddin and Office Staff Monirul Islam have been arrested in connection with the incident following a case filed by area Manager Momtaj Begum. The arrestees are likely to be placed on remand, OC Pahartali said.