A trader was shot by muggers and robbed $17,000, equivalent to Tk 20.87 lakh, when he was crossing road in front of Janata Bank near Shapla Chattar in the capital’s Motijheel area on Sunday afternoon.

The police said that the victim, 42-year-old Md Lokman, was admitted to Mugda Medical College Hospital after being shot twice in the knee and once in the elbow ay about 3:00pm.

‘We came to know the muggers on three motorbikes tried to snatch the US-dollar-filled bag when the victim was crossing road. When the trader denied giving the bag, the muggers opened fire on him, snatched the bag and fled the scene,’ Motijheel police station officer-in-charge Kamruzzaman Talukder said.

He said that they were yet to identify the muggers and detain any suspects.

‘We will talk to the victim and take necessary legal actions,’ he added.