A school dropout teen-age girl, tempted by assurance of Tk 100 daily allowance and Tk 5,000 monthly pay, joined a gang of young robbers in the district about a month ago.
The girl, Maimuna Akhter Shilpi, was also threatened with death if she did not join the group.
She said this in her statement under Section 164 to Chandpur Magistrate Md Aminul Islam on February 17.
Maimuna, daughter of Serajul Haque of Raisree village under Shahrasti upazila, told police and magistrate that she stopped going to school when she was a student of class four and she is now 18 years old.
She, however, seemed younger.
“About one month ago, Rubel, Sagar, Anwar, Zakir and Muksed told me to accompany them to rob a house. They said my job would be to knock on the door, address the women of the house as maa [mother], khala [aunty] etc and persuade them to open the door.
“I would secretly go with the gang at night. I took shelter at the targeted house, presenting myself as a helpless girl. I would open the door for the gang members at a suitable time.
“On the first day, five of the gang accompanied by seven to eight unknown robbers who came by hired CNG auto-rickshaws committed robbery at the house of Shafiullah at Chandipur village. On the same night they also robbed two houses at Raisree village,” she said.
On February 4, they went to rob the house of father-in-law of an OC at Panchbasti village in Barura.
As the inmates cried for help, people caught Maimuna while other robbers managed to flee, she said. She was handed over to Barura police who shifted her to Shahrasti Police Station.
Chandpur Superintendent of Police Krishnapada Roy said Maimuna was made accused in the case filed for January 13 robbery incident at the house of Abdul Karim Patwari in Shahrasti upazila.
She was taken on a three-day remand while the other accused in the case are still on the run.
