~story by Mikey Leung~

Dhaka is a safe place, when you know how to play by its rules.

Nonetheless, there have been a incidences of muggings and robberies, and bag snatching among the expatriate community, particularly in the Gulshan and Mohammadpur areas.

I hate to sound patronizing, but single females, moving around at night (usually but not always after 10pm), seem to be the biggest target. I have heard of far too many incidences now where a single expatriate female was riding a rickshaw, only to fall victim to drive-by bag snatchings. Some of these women have been pulled off the rickshaw entirely and dragged for several meters. I have noticed that several of these occurrences have occurred at night, on quiet or busy roads, but there is one common thread between them all: a single female is often the target victim.

After a few months of keeping tabs of the incidents, I would like to make a few security recommendations here. Once again, I do believe Dhaka is a safe place when you know how to play by its rules. Of course, these suggestions apply to both women and men, but women are more often the target victims, according to what I’ve heard and kept track of.

Here are my suggestions:

• Solo females should NOT travel around at night, by rickshaw, after 9-10pm. If they must travel, it is best to go in groups.
• Be vigilant while travelling/walking and keep aware of your surroundings. An alert-looking person, whose head is up and is watching the environment around them, presents less of a target than someone who is lost in their own world.
• Bags should be kept off the shoulder, so that if a bag snatching does occur, there is no risk of being dragged, which has actually caused the more serious injury in these incidences.
• A common myth is that poverty spawns these crimes, but in reality that bag snatching crimes are often committed by people with vehicles, which people in poverty cannot afford. It is theorized that it is actually young men, some of whom may be addicted to drugs, commit these crimes and have the means (i.e. a vehicle) to do so.
• If travelling out of the city at night, it is best not to accept food or drinks from strangers at train stations or bus stands, unless you see the drink being made or the food being prepared. In a recent theft, we heard of a drugging that knocked a single female unconscious. It would be a mistake to proclaim that all hospitality offered by strangers is malicious, especially in Bangladesh. But, by being aware of where a drink or food comes from, you can protect yourself.

The Canadian Travel Report for Bangladesh provides some decent advice on the same issue:

Pickpocketing, purse snatching, and mugging are common, especially in areas frequented by tourists and when travelling by rickshaw or baby taxi (motorized pedicabs). Unaccompanied women face the highest risk. Physical and verbal harassment of women can be a problem.

Do not walk alone after dark. Victims of crime should contact the High Commission of Canada in Dhaka for assistance before filing a police report. Women should not go to police stations alone.

Do you have any security suggestions to share? Please post your comments.

Tags: Bangladesh,dhaka,muggings,personal safety,robberies,security advice,Security Suggestions,theft,Travel
Categories: Security Suggestions, Travel
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