Cocktail blasts and bus fires across Dhaka and the country

Miscreants set off cocktails in waves in different areas of the capital, including Farmgate, Adabar, Mirpur and Jatrabari. Several buses were also set on fire. The incidents, which ran from Monday (9 November) evening into the night, spread panic across the capital.

Around 7pm on Monday, miscreants set fire to a Labbaik Paribahan bus under the Farmgate metro station in the capital. Two cocktails also exploded in front of South East University.

Tejgaon Division Deputy Police Commissioner (DC) Ibn Mizan confirmed the information. He said that around 6:40pm, miscreants set fire to a Labbaik Paribahan bus parked under the Farmgate metro station. In addition, two cocktails exploded in front of South East University in the Shilpanchal police station area. No casualties were reported in either incident.

Around 9:40pm, a cocktail explosion took place in front of Tokyo Square in Adabar. DC Ibn Mizan said miscreants set off four cocktails in a row in front of Tokyo Square in Adabar around 9:40pm. No casualties were reported in these explosions either.

Meanwhile, around 9:30pm, police caught four people red-handed while they were trying to throw a cocktail at a checkpoint in the Moghbazar area under Hatirjheel police station. The matter was confirmed by Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Tejgaon Division Deputy Police Commissioner (DC) Ibn Mizan.

After Farmgate, around 9pm, miscreants set fire to a Basumati Paribahan passenger bus parked at Mirpur 11. Two units of the Fire Service later brought the fire under control. The seats, glass and various parts of the bus body were burnt. No one was injured in the incident.

Similar incidents took place outside the capital on Monday night as well. In Daulatpur, Khulna, police recovered an unexploded cocktail from the roadside. It was recovered from in front of Mona Market in the city around 7:45pm on Monday night.

According to police and local sources, a Krishak Dal discussion meeting was going on on the road beside Mona Market around 7:45pm. At that time, a local person saw the cocktail lying on the road and informed police. Police later went to the spot, recovered it and took it to the police station.

Daulatpur police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Moradul Islam said: 'The cocktail has been recovered and taken to the police station. It has not been confirmed who left it there. An investigation is under way.'

Cocktail explosions also took place at several important points in Gopalganj district. The explosions happened on Monday night at multiple locations, including the Muktijoddha Bhaban. The incidents, centred on a programme called by a banned organisation, spread panic across the whole area.

In Manikganj too, at least nine cocktail explosions took place from Monday evening into the night in six areas, including the Government High School ground, the bus stand, Golra Stand and Nayadingi in Saturia. Two people have been taken into police custody on suspicion of involvement.

The series of cocktail explosions and bus fires in the capital and the districts from evening into the night has spread fear among the public. Police are investigating the incidents, and the four people detained in Moghbazar and other suspects are being questioned.