“A crime is a crime,” said Additional Police Commissioner (Crime and Operations) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) SN Md Nazrul Islam during a press briefing, “There is no need to ‘colour’ it with a specific ‘label’.”
The press briefing in question – conducted in the midst of inspecting security preparations at the historic Hussaini Dalan Imambara in Old Dhaka on Thursday – focused on the security measures being taken ahead of the upcoming Ashura on June 6.
The additional commissioner added, “There’s no need to qualify the crime by stating that ‘this is militant, that is not.’ Planting bombs and killing people – that’s a crime, pure and simple.”
“These are crimes, and they will be tried under existing laws as they are. Understood? A crime is a crime, no matter the form or context. We are fully aware and have necessary measures in place.”
On October 23, 2015, late at night, a bomb attack occurred at Hussaini Dalan while preparations were underway for a Tajiya procession for Ashura.
Two people were killed, and over a hundred were injured. Later, two unexploded bombs – Improvised Explosive Devices, or IEDS – were recovered from the scene.
According to case documents, 13 militants from JMB were involved in the attack at Hussaini Dalan. Police arrested 10 of them, while three were reportedly killed in a “gunfight” during the operation.
Lawyers claimed two of the arrestees were minors, which a court confirmed after verifying their birth certificates. They were subsequently tried separately in juvenile court.
In March 2022, an anti-terrorism special tribunal in Dhaka sentenced two JMB members to 10 and 7 years in prison, while acquitting six others.
When asked whether there were any “concerns” regarding security preparations 10 years after the attack, SN Md Nazrul Islam said, “We have not detected any threats so far, but we have adequate security measures in place. Both covert and overt.”
When journalists asked about the recent spate of cocktail explosions in various places across the country, the police official said, “The political landscape has changed. Trials have begun, and many people harbour grievances. As such, it is not unusual for a few such incidents taking place.”
“But the police remain on high alert, and we have sufficient deployments. Those involved in these acts or attempting them will be brought to book. We are trying, and the media should also assist us in this regard,” he concluded.