Bus torched in Farmgate, cocktail blasts at Dhaka and Jagannath universities and court premises spark panic in capital
A series of bus arson attacks and cocktail explosions across the capital has created concern. On Monday evening (November 9), besides the arson attack on a passenger bus in Farmgate, one incident after another took place — cocktail blasts at Dhaka University (DU), Jagannath University (JnU), the CMM court premises and a bus fire on the Postogola bridge.
The previous day, Sunday, similar incidents at the CID office, Pallabi police station and Mirpur had already left the city gripped by panic.
On Monday evening, miscreants set fire to a passenger bus named Lovely Paribahan parked right under the Farmgate metro station. Within moments, the entire bus was engulfed in flames and the area was covered in clouds of smoke.
When the smoke from the burning bus reached the metro station, the fire alarm went off automatically. Panic spread among passengers inside the station, and they tried to rush out in a hurry.
Around 6:40 pm, a cocktail exploded in the TSC area of DU. General students caught one person red-handed and handed him over to the proctorial team, who later handed him over to Shahbagh police station.
DU Proctor Professor Dr Israfil Ratan said CCTV footage is being reviewed to confirm the identity of the detained person.
A cocktail exploded between two buses parked in the parking area near the second gate of JnU. After the explosion, the JnU unit of Chhatra Dal detained a student named Rezwan Ahmed, from the 2021-22 session of the psychology department.
According to preliminary information, the detained Rezwan is a worker of the banned organisation Chhatra League. Proctor Professor Nasir Ahmad said CCTV footage is being analysed and legal action is being taken to investigate the matter.
In the evening, a cocktail was also exploded on the premises of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) court in Dhaka. Mohiuddin Mahmud Sohel, deputy police commissioner of the DMP prosecution division, said police detained two people from the spot and seized a motorcycle they had used.
At 6:40 pm, miscreants set fire to a van carrying empty gas cylinders and sofas parked on the Postogola bridge in the Hasnabad area. The Postogola fire service and police went and put out the fire.
Besides, although an unexploded cocktail was reportedly recovered in front of the Dakshin Keraniganj police station, investigation officer Azgar Hossain claimed the cocktail-throwing incident was a rumour.
This series of cocktail attacks in the capital began on Sunday night (November 8). Around 8:45 pm that day, a cocktail was exploded targeting a moving private car in front of the Sony Cinema Hall in Mirpur 1.
On the same day, miscreants exploded cocktails one after another on the Dhaka University campus, in the Pallabi police station area and in front of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters in Malibagh.
Meanwhile, a four-year-old child named Abida died after falling from the roof of a five-storey building in Mir Hajirbagh, Jatrabari, in the capital. There is an allegation that she was pushed off the roof and killed. Police have detained a 26-year-old woman named Nitol from the neighbouring flat for questioning in the incident.
