The recovery of another pressure cooker bomb in Savar has raised fresh concerns over a suspected explosives network, with counter-terrorism officials probing possible links to devices recently found in Ashulia and Motijheel.
Police recovered the device, wrapped in scotch tape, was found inside the drum along with clothes and a copy of the Quran, at a mosque field in Sadhapur under Bongaon Union in Savar early Wednesday.
Locals later removed it from the drum and informed police.
According to residents, three unidentified people were seen leaving the drum at the field beside Laltek Ghora Mosque at around 1:30am.
Savar Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Saiful Alam said police initially suspected that the pressure cooker contained a bomb and informed the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Bomb Disposal Unit.
The unit later arrived at the scene and began efforts to safely neutralise the device. No arrests have been made in connection with the incident.
The recovery came a day after a major raid on a suspected explosives hideout in Shyampur, Hemayetpur, where law enforcement agencies recovered 13 pipe bombs and materials allegedly used to make explosives.
The Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit is now examining whether the latest device is linked to the suspected explosives network in Savar.
CTTC officials are also investigating possible links between the device and pressure cooker bombs recovered earlier in Ashulia, as well as a so-called “umbrella bomb” found beneath the Motijheel metro rail station.
13 pipe bombs recovered from Shyampur
The latest recovery came shortly after a joint operation at a four-storey building in Shyampur, Hemayetpur, on Tuesday night.
The CTTC, local police, National Security Intelligence and other law enforcement agencies began the operation around 6:30pm. It continued until about 1:45am.
Police initially recovered five pipe bombs from the building and later found eight more, taking the total to 13.
They also seized leaflets of the banned militant outfit Neo Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), along with materials and equipment allegedly used to make explosives.
Earlier, police had detained a man named Arif Hossain from the same area with five live hand-made bombs. Investigators said information obtained from him led them to the Shyampur building.
Investigators are examining the construction of the recovered devices and possible links between them and other explosives found recently.
CTTC sources said the explosives recovered from the Shyampur building show technical similarities with some bomb-like devices recovered in recent incidents.
Investigators are also looking into a possible connection with the device found beneath the Motijheel metro rail station and a recent explosion in Keraniganj.
Suspected organiser still at large
An investigation source said Nazmul Hasan alias “Bomb-maker Mamun”, described by law enforcement as a suspected organiser of the network, remains at large.
Law enforcement officials claim he is linked to the Neo-JMB and had worked as a trainer in explosives-making. Investigators suspect he was operating a clandestine cell.
The allegations have not been proven in court.
Landlord denies knowledge of explosives
House owner Abdul Jalil and his daughter Elma told journalists that a man identifying himself as “Abbas Ali” rented the house on 2 August with another person.
The pair introduced themselves as husband and wife and said they were from Pabna and worked as drivers. The house was rented to them on the understanding that they would live there with their family, the landlord said.
The landlord and his daughter said they had no knowledge that bombs or explosive materials were being kept inside the house.
Savar Model Police Station OC Md Saiful Alam told TIMES of Bangladesh said a total of 14 bombs had been recovered from the Shyampur area, adding that the CTTC was working to identify and arrest other members of the suspected explosives network.
Police and CTTC officials said they were initially examining possible links between the incidents and the banned JMB. The investigation is ongoing.
CTTC chief Mohammad Shamsul Haque was scheduled to brief the media at the DMP Media Centre on Wednesday afternoon about the operation.
The repeated recovery of pressure cooker bombs in Savar, along with the discovery of explosives and bomb-making materials, has raised concern among local residents.
