Cocktail Blast Outside Rupnagar Police Station; Youth Arrested While Fleeing, Says He Was Forced
Police have arrested a 27-year-old man, Ashraful Islam, red-handed while he was fleeing after setting off a cocktail explosion in front of the Rupnagar police station in the capital. The blast, right outside a police station, has caused a stir in the area.
The incident took place at around 1:40 a.m. on Sunday night (November 8). Deputy Commissioner Hasan Mohammad Naser Rikabdar of the Mirpur Division confirmed the matter at around 3 a.m.
During police questioning, Ashraful claimed that he was initially unwilling to throw the cocktail. A man named Jasim, he said, threatened and intimidated him into doing it.
According to Ashraful, Jasim himself gave him a cocktail and told him to throw it.
Ashraful said he drives for Pathao, the ride-sharing service. His mother is ill, and he had been travelling to the Neuroscience Hospital for her treatment.
He said that at night, after parking his motorcycle in a garage, Jasim called him and asked him to do a job. When he asked what the job was, Jasim instructed him to throw a cocktail.
Ashraful said he first refused to throw the cocktail. But Jasim threatened him. Fearing for his ailing mother and his family's safety, he agreed to do the job.
He then took a cocktail from Jasim. During questioning, he further said he boarded an auto-rickshaw in front of Pallabi Bidyaniketan. There were two people in the auto-rickshaw, including the driver.
He then rode in the auto-rickshaw and threw the cocktail. He claimed that the cocktail also injured his leg when it went off.
About Jasim, Ashraful said he lives in the Mirpur Section 7 area. He also claimed that Jasim has been seen at various Awami League programmes and gatherings.
However, Jasim's identity and Ashraful's allegations against him could not be independently verified.
Ashraful's account, given during police questioning, is the main version of events so far. No separate information about Jasim from the police was available in this report.
