Robbery in 60 Vehicles on Eidgaon-Baishari Road: Call to Stop Boundary Blame Game

A massive robbery unfolded in broad daylight in the Himchhari Dhala area of the Eidgaon-Eidgarh-Baishari road, which connects Cox's Bazar and Bandarban. On Monday, an armed gang intercepted and looted at least 60 vehicles in two phases during the morning and afternoon. Passengers were assaulted, leaving at least seven people injured. Victims alleged that despite the road being a notoriously vulnerable zone, no police patrols were present for hours while the bandits freely committed the crime.

Insecurity along this 17-kilometer hilly stretch is a longstanding crisis. According to local residents, public representatives, and police records, at least four individuals—including a police officer—have been murdered here over the last 17 years, and more than 50 people have been kidnapped, with at least 23 freed only after paying ransoms. Because the road traverses multiple upazilas across Cox's Bazar and Bandarban districts, police stations frequently shift responsibility onto one another whenever a crime takes place.

Following the incident, law enforcement claimed that no formal complaint had yet been filed by the victims. However, locals pointed out that while an outpost or investigation center on this stretch was previously approved, it remains unbuilt. Residents stressed that authorities must not wait for infrastructure to deploy regular and surprise mobile patrols. They also called for decisive operations against organized syndicates involved in smuggling and kidnappings, as well as their local patrons.

Administrative boundaries must not stand in the way of constitutional guarantees of public safety. Thousands of people rely on this single roadway daily for commerce, education, and healthcare. After years of promises and hollow assurances, locals demand visible security, active inter-district police coordination, and the swift prosecution of criminal networks to restore uninterrupted movement day and night.