In a meeting held at the DMP headquarters on Thursday, authorities decided to ask the banks to ensure that their clients switch off their mobile sets during the transaction hours.

The ban was imposed following the brutal killing of a young man during an armed robbery at Dhanmondi earlier on Thursday.

"Use of mobile phones have been prohibited from all the banks to put an end to the escalating incidents of robberies and muggings that have been taking in front of the banks," said Nayeem Ahmed, DMP Commissioner in a press note released by DMP.

Law enforcing authorities also confirmed that special police escorts would be provided on request by clients or bankers in the 33 city police stations.

In the wake of the ever-increasing incidents of mugging incidents, the anti-crime agencies are finding themselves one step behind the criminals due to flimsy intelligence and lack of proper manpower, claimed police sources.

According to sources, more than 125 cases of muggings have been reported during the course of the last six months while around 12 sophisticated mugging cases were reported across the Dhaka city during the first quarter of May. Many more remain unreported.

A Source from the Ramna division of the Dhaka metropolitan police told this correspondent that 18 and 19 cases of muggings were reported in the 5 police stations in Ramna during the months of February and March respectively, which were quite high compared to 10 cases of muggings reported in January.

"There is no denying that incidents of muggings and robberies have almost doubled in the last couple of months," said Sub Inspector Nahida Akhter from Ramna Police Station.

It is especially in the past few weeks when prominent city areas such as Dhanmondi and Uttara have seen a number of brutal and menacing mugging incidents take place in front of banks.

The situation became only more ominous when a brutal mugging incident took place in front of the Sat Masjid road branch of National Credit and Commerce bank at Dhanmondi when a young man was killed in broad daylight, which finally forced the police to take tangible measures.

The police suspect that the information of withdrawing the money might have been leaked out from inside the bank facilities through the means of cellular phones.

"It is quite apparent that vital information on big transactions leak from inside the banks through mobile phones, which plays a huge role in the robberies that take place later," said Munshi Shahabuddin, staff official from the police commissioner's office.

"We would request the bank authorities to ensure that nobody gets to carry mobile phones inside the bank facilities, they have to submit their mobile sets in the entrance," said Shahabuddin. The ban does not however incorporate staffs of banks.

"Bank authorities would also be requested to inform the police about unusually big transactions, or if any client refuses to take police escorts," he added.

The banks will also be requested to install close circuit cameras along with metal detectors and other security devices to have a closer eye on the preceding, said DMP sources.

"We also have decided to ask the banks to install close circuit cameras to monitor the proceedings inside the bank, along with metal detectors to ensure proper security measures," he added.

The police authorities also decided to keep an escort team standby at each of the city's 33 police stations to respond to the calls from banks and clients.

DMP officials urged city dwellers to ask for police escorts during transportation of large sums within the city for security.