A series of crude bomb explosions across Dhaka followed by a late-night arson attack on a bus heightened security concerns in the capital on Friday, with at least one person injured and police investigating who was behind the incidents.
The explosions were reported at Malibagh, Mohakhali, Agargaon and Jatrabari between the afternoon and evening of Sept. 18. Hours later, a Mirpur Super Link bus parked outside Kafrul Police Station was set on fire.
No individual or organization had claimed responsibility for the incidents, and police had not publicly identified any suspects as of early Saturday. Authorities were examining CCTV footage and other evidence.
The number of crude bombs reported varied slightly among police accounts and news reports. Available information indicates at least two exploded in Malibagh, one or two in Mohakhali and several in Jatrabari. Police were still trying to determine whether a separate explosion heard in Agargaon was caused by a crude bomb or a firecracker.
Bus Set Ablaze Outside Police Station
The Fire Service received a report of a fire on a Mirpur Super Link bus outside Kafrul Police Station at 10:14 p.m. Friday.
Two firefighting units responded, reaching the scene within eight minutes. The blaze was extinguished at 10:33 p.m., according to the Fire Service.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Mirpur Division Deputy Commissioner Md Mostak Sarker said the bus had been seized following an accident three or four days earlier and had been parked outside the police station.
“Someone set fire to the bus at night. The incident is being investigated,” he said.
Fire Service officials initially said they could not determine the cause of the fire or provide information about casualties.
The incident came several hours after crude bomb explosions were reported in different parts of the capital.
Blasts Begin in Malibagh
The day’s incidents began after Friday prayers in the Malibagh area.
Police said two crude bombs were thrown from a flyover at around 3 p.m. and exploded on the main road near Malibagh Rail Gate. The explosions occurred near the Sohag Paribahan counter.
No casualties were initially reported there.
Police began investigating who had thrown the devices.
Crude Bomb Thrown From Mohakhali Flyover
Another explosion was reported in the Amtoli area of Mohakhali at around 5:45 p.m.
Banani Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Faridul Islam said a crude bomb was thrown from the Mohakhali flyover and exploded below.
Police were investigating who was responsible, he said.
Some reports said two crude bombs exploded in the area, while police accounts cited by other news organizations referred to one. The discrepancy had not been resolved.
Agargaon Blast Remains Unconfirmed
Around the same time, an explosion was heard in front of Bangladesh Betar Bhaban in Agargaon.
A video purportedly showing the incident subsequently circulated on social media.
Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Monirul Islam said police were aware of the explosion but had not initially established what caused it.
“We heard an explosion. But we still do not know whether it was a cocktail or a firecracker,” he said, adding that investigators had not recovered evidence from the scene at that point.
The Agargaon incident should therefore not yet be definitively classified as a crude bomb explosion.
One Injured in Jatrabari
The most serious of the reported explosions occurred in Jatrabari during the evening.
Several explosions were heard near Jatrabari Police Station and the nearby traffic police box at around 7:30-7:45 p.m.
Initial accounts said one crude bomb exploded near the police station before three more exploded near the traffic police box. Other police accounts described hearing four or five explosions in the area.
An auto-rickshaw driver was injured and taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment.
The explosions caused alarm among pedestrians, with people seen running from the area following the blasts.
Mir Muhsin Masud Rana, additional deputy commissioner of the Demra Zone under DMP’s Wari Division, confirmed receiving information about the explosions but said immediately afterward that he could not specify how many devices had exploded.
Police subsequently began examining the incidents and attempting to identify those responsible.
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