A pedestrian was injured in a crude bomb explosion in Dhaka’s New Eskaton area, while three “petrol bombs” were hurled at a Grameen Bank branch in Gazipur on Sunday.
The explosion at Eskaton occurred in front of the Waqf Building around 8:40am.
The injured man, Abdul Bashir, 50, an employee of a private firm, was walking to his office in Banglamotor when the blast happened. He suffered injuries to his leg and hand.
Bashir said the blast occurred suddenly as he was passing the spot. He believes the device may have been thrown from the Moghbazar flyover above.
Eyewitnesses reported a sudden, loud bang followed by panic in the area. Several witnesses also confirmed they suspected the bomb had been hurled from the flyover.
The incident has triggered concern among pedestrians and commuters, despite the capital appearing largely calm on the first day of a two-day shutdown called by the Awami League, whose activities are banned.
Police are investigating the Eskaton blast.
In a separate incident in Gazipur’s Sreepur upazila, three suspected petrol bombs were thrown at the Grameen Bank Maona branch in Bartopa Bazar early Sunday.
Bank officials said one device exploded inside the compound, while two others went off outside, damaging the main gate.
In a report, Sreepur Police Station’s Officer-in-charge Mohammad Abdul Barik, who visited the site, said the bank was functioning normally and that the damage appeared minor. He said a firecracker-like explosive caused some glass to break near the entrance.
“No major damage or casualties were reported,” the OC said, adding that an investigation is underway and legal steps will follow.
Police have not yet confirmed whether the two incidents are connected.
The blasts in different areas come amid heightened tension ahead of Monday’s scheduled verdict in a case against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina over alleged crimes against humanity linked to the July mass uprising. Since 7 November, multiple crude bomb explosions and arson attacks on buses have been reported across Dhaka and other parts of the country.
