Cocktail blasts and arson in Dhaka as night falls, city gripped by fear

As evening falls, incidents of cocktail explosions and arson are taking place in different areas of the capital. Miscreants are hurling cocktails from moving motorcycles, flyovers, and sometimes from behind cover or deserted places, and fleeing. Fear has spread among the people over these incidents.

Most recently, on Saturday night (7 November), a passenger bus caught fire in Mirpur, and cocktail explosions were reported in Jatrabari, Demra, Banani and other areas of the capital.

At around 10 pm on Saturday, a passenger bus of Bihanga Paribahan parked under the Pallabi metro station in Mirpur caught fire. Police rushed to the spot and moved the bus to a safe place. No casualties were reported in the incident.

How the fire started could not be confirmed immediately. Whether it was sabotage or an accident is also being examined.

On the same night, cocktail explosions were reported at Konapara in Jatrabari, Bansherpul in Demra, and in front of Nabi Tower, belonging to BNP leader Nabiullah Nabi, in Jatrabari.

In addition, miscreants threw a cocktail in front of the guard room of the Setu Bhaban in Banani police station area and set off an explosion. The glass of the guard room was shattered. Banani police later arrived at the spot and collected the remains of the exploded cocktail. Another unexploded cocktail was also found there.

According to police, no one could be arrested in connection with this incident. How the miscreants reached the spot and how many of them there were could not be identified immediately. Police are, however, trying to identify those involved by reviewing CCTV footage from the surrounding area.

An officer of Jatrabari police station, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that at around 12:45 am on Saturday night, two cocktails were thrown from the flyover onto the road beside the TNT office in Jatrabari, causing explosions. Citing eyewitnesses, he said the cocktail throwers were wearing helmets.

On the matter, Md Akhtar Hossain, deputy commissioner (media) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), said that since the evening, cocktail explosions have been occurring in isolated incidents in different parts of the capital. Sometimes from motorcycles, sometimes from flyovers, and sometimes from unknown places, these cocktails are being thrown.

He said police are investigating the incidents seriously. Operations are being conducted by analysing CCTV footage to identify those involved. One person was arrested immediately in yesterday's Gulshan incident. Besides, many have been arrested after being identified through footage analysis. The operations are continuing.

Akhtar Hossain further said that most of the cocktail throwers are seen wearing helmets in CCTV footage. They are carrying out these incidents arriving by motorcycle or on foot. The activities of every police station in the capital are being monitored regularly.

Security activities are being supervised by giving necessary instructions to police officers through video conferences, wireless communication and direct contact.