Shootout between police, robbers rock Thanchi as Sonali Bank branch come under attack again

The Thanchi upazila branch of Sonali Bank in Bandarban came under another robbery attack tonight (4 April), soon after the bank's kidnapped Ruma branch manager was freed by the armed hill group Kuku-Chin National Front (KNF).

"Over 100 armed robbers attacked the Thanchi upazila branch of Sonali Bank at around 8:30pm. But their attack was foiled by the law enforcers. Now, shooting is ongoing between the two groups with intervals," Md Rayhan Kazemi, additional superintendent of Bandarban Police, told The Business Standard.

"At around 8:30pm a group of armed robbers tried to head towards the bank but the BGB and the police stopped them," Thanchi Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mohammad Mamun said.

"After facing the law enforcers, the robbers fired shots towards them. At one point of the shootout, the criminals retreated. Police fired around 400-500 rounds of bullets," he added.

Alamgir Hossain, a tourist currently staying at Thanchi Bazar, said he and his friends had gone to visit the local bazaar at around 8:30pm when they heard sounds of shots being fired.

"All the shops in the bazaar closed down within a moment. We heard shots being fired with intervals till 9:00pm," he added.

The same branch, along with a branch of Krishi Bank in the upazila, was earlier attacked by 50-60 robbers, suspected to be involved with armed hill group  Kuku-Chin National Front (KNF), on Wednesday (3 April) noon. The robbers looted around Tk17.5 lakh from the two banks.

Before that, on Tuesday (2 April) night, KNF members attacked the Ruma branch of Bandarban and kidnapped its manager Nazim Uddin. 

So far, no one has been arrested over the incidents.

The latest attack on Sonali Bank's Thanchi branch comes only an hour after the KNF released the manager at around 7:30pm today after being paid a Tk15 lakh ransom.

Thanchi Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mohammad Mamun could not reach for a comment on the matter.