Bomb blasts raise alarm in Dhaka

A series of crude bombs explosions and incidents of arson targeting public transport have suddenly erupted across Dhaka, leaving city residents alarmed. The acts of sabotage, which began on Friday, continued on Monday.

Over the past few days, cocktails were detonated simultaneously at least five police station compounds and 15-20 other important locations, including Dhaka University, under the cover of darkness. The successive incidents of violence have caused fear and concern among residents across the capital.

Law enforcement agencies said the attacks were being carried out as part of a planned attempt by members of several banned organisations to create anarchy in the country.

Police, meanwhile, urged people not to panic. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested 18 people in separate drives over cocktail explosions and attacks targeting police in different parts of the capital.

According to local residents and police, a hand bomb exploded in front of the gate of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court in Dhaka on Monday evening. Two people were caught at the scene in connection with the incident. Earlier in the morning, a hand bomb was detonated in G Block of Banasree, where two people also were detained.

Also, a bus caught fire beneath the Farmgate Metro Rail Station. Operations at the metro-station were temporarily suspended following the incident. Fire Service duty officer Rozina Akter said they received information about the fire at around 6:35pm.

On Sunday afternoon, a series of crude bombs blasts occurred at least five locations on the Dhaka University campus, including TSC and Nilkhet, at intervals of around 30 minutes. Police detained three people in connection with the incidents, one of whom claimed to be a BNP activist.

The wave of explosions that began around Dhaka University later spread to police station compounds and key point installations (KPIs) across the capital as the night progressed.

At around 8:15pm on Sunday, crude bombs were thrown into the compound of Pallabi Police Station from the Pallabi Flyover. An SRB member was injured in the subsequent explosion. Bombs were also detonated in front of the CID headquarters in Malibagh and in the Paltan Police Station area.

Around 10pm, two cocktails exploded one after another near the entrance of Khilgaon Police Station, briefly causing panic among police personnel. Police said they were trying to identify those responsible by examining CCTV footage.

Cocktail attacks were also reported in front of Darus Salam, Uttara East and Rupnagar police stations. In Rupnagar, local residents caught a person while he was fleeing after the attack and handed him over to police.

In addition, cocktails were thrown at buses and private cars in areas including Mohakhali, Tejgaon, Panthapath, Dhanmondi, Gabtoli, Cantonment Station, the vicinity of Hotel Radisson Blu and Jatrabari.
Talking to this newspaper, rickshaw puller Anwarul Islam said, “We are ordinary people. The prices of essential goods are already very high. If the country becomes unstable again, where will we go?”