A daring armed robbery took place late Friday night at Shikder Group’s 100-megawatt power plant in Golgolia village, under Basta Union, near the First Dhaleshwari Bridge toll plaza. The plant is operated by PowerPac Holdings Ltd, a subsidiary of Shikder Group.
According to plant officials, a gang of at least 20 armed assailants stormed the facility at around 7:45pm. Brandishing firearms and knives, they overpowered 10 on-duty security guards and employees, tying their hands and feet, blindfolding them, and detaining them inside a building, says Bangladesh Post report.
The robbers then ransacked the premises for nearly eight hours, looting equipment and materials reportedly worth several crore taka. They targeted rolls of high-value cable, machinery parts, laptops, computers, batteries, mobile phones, and other office equipment. Three large trucks were loaded with the stolen goods before the gang cut off the plant’s power supply and fled.
Eyewitnesses described a well-coordinated attack. Security guard Tamim said he was grabbed at the gate, tied up, and threatened at gunpoint. Imam Shafiqul Islam, who arrived to lead the Isha prayer, said he was seized upon entry and taken to the second floor, where other staff members were already bound. Plant worker Korom Ali said the robbers demanded access to the CCTV system, while office assistant Ekramul Haque was injured with a sharp weapon after resisting.
On Saturday morning, police and other law enforcement agencies inspected the scene. South Keraniganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Syed Mohammad Akhtar Hossain said CCTV footage is being reviewed, and further action will follow once a formal complaint is lodged. No arrests had been made as of press time.
Sources said the robbers may have arrived both by river—using trawlers—and by road in trucks. Investigators suspect the assailants could be locals, as they were heard speaking in the regional dialect.
The privately-built 100MW Keraniganj power plant, which began operations on December 2, 2012, is one of Shikder Group’s major power generation facilities.