Headteacher’s death in Dhaka mugging: Two arrested, including ‘Para Ponir’

Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the death of a headteacher in Dhaka following a mugging near the National Parliament Building. The victim, identified as Ranjila Parveen, 56, was riding in an auto-rickshaw with her husband when assailants on a motorcycle snatched her bag, causing her to fall and suffer a fatal head injury. The arrests were made by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), which also recovered the motorcycle used in the incident.

RAB-2 confirmed the arrests in a media statement on Sunday, identifying the main suspect as Poni, also known as Para Ponir. The second suspect’s name was not disclosed, and further details are expected at a press briefing scheduled for 4:00 PM at the RAB-2 headquarters in Basila, Mohammadpur. The briefing will be led by Additional Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Naimul Hasan of RAB-2.

The incident occurred around midnight last Friday, when Parveen and her husband, Abdul Matin, traveled from Bogura to Dhaka by bus to visit the Ispahani Islamia Eye Institute and Hospital in the Farmgate area. After arriving at the Kallyanpur terminal, they took an auto-rickshaw toward the hospital. As they neared the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, two muggers on a motorcycle approached from behind and snatched Parveen’s bag. She was thrown from the vehicle and sustained severe head injuries. Her husband rushed her to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Abdul Matin filed a murder case at the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police station following the incident. Parveen had served as the headteacher of Bagbari Government Girls’ Primary School in Gabtali upazila of Bogura. She was originally from Tarafsartaj village in the same upazila, while her husband operates a clothing business in Bogura’s New Market area. Their daughter, Takiya Akter Raisa, attends Yakubia Girls’ High School in Class 9.

According to data from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), 172 mugging cases were recorded in the capital during the first six months of 2024, resulting in 402 arrests. The highest number of incidents—38—occurred in the Wari police station area, followed by 34 cases in Tejgaon division. However, many victims reportedly only file general diaries (GDs) with police rather than formal cases, suggesting the actual number of muggings may be higher.

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