IMJ President Visits Tokyo-Based Expatriate Injured in Bangladesh Highway Robbery

Islamic Mission Japan's central President, Hafez Saber Ahmed, together with General Secretary Abdullah Al Maruf, visited the Tokyo home of Mahmudul Hasan Arman, a Japan-based expatriate whose family was robbed on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway in Bangladesh. The visit followed a violent incident on the night of July 8 near the Meghna Toll Plaza in Sonargaon, where an armed gang stopped the family's car using laser lights and, holding Arman's freedom-fighter father and other family members at gunpoint, robbed them of gold ornaments, phones and cash.

During the visit, President Ahmed called on the Bangladeshi authorities to ensure the safety of expatriates and their families when they travel within the country. Local police have since arrested four of the five suspected robbers and recovered a portion of the stolen gold, with the officer in charge of Sonargaon Police Station confirming that further recovery efforts are continuing.

Family members have said the driver's conduct during the robbery raised suspicions, as he did not stop the car despite repeated warnings from passengers that the men flagging them down were robbers, and was left unharmed while others in the vehicle were assaulted. Police believe someone with inside knowledge of the family's movements may have tipped off the gang, and a joint operation involving the Detective Branch and local police is underway to recover the remaining stolen property and apprehend the rest of the group.