A series of eight crude bomb explosions across five Dhaka locations and an arson of a bus on Friday night are now under police investigation, as authorities probe whether Awami League activists orchestrated the violence ahead of party leader Sheikh Hasina’s reported return in December.
The explosions took place in Adabor, Shahbagh, Khilgaon, the airport area and Kalshi in Mirpur between the evening and late night.
A Baishakhi Paribahan bus was also set on fire near the Coca-Cola intersection on Pragati Sarani. No casualties were reported in any of the incidents.
Police are analysing CCTV footage from the locations to identify those involved and establish whether the incidents were coordinated and organised.
Several officials of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch (DB) said they were examining a possible connection between the attacks and Hasina’s announcement that she would return to the country in December.
According to police and other sources, the first reported explosion occurred at around 7:55pm inside the headquarters of the Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party in Khilgaon.
Khilgaon Police Station Officer-in-Charge Saiful Islam said the crude bomb might have been thrown from the roof of a nearby building or from a location at a lower level.
At around 9:05pm, two crude bombs go off in front of Adabor Police Station.
Unidentified attackers arrived on a motorcycle, hurled the explosives and fled.
DMP’s Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Tejgaon Division) Fazlul Haque confirmed the incident.
At around 10:20pm, another hand bombs was thrown at a police patrol vehicle in front of the IBA Gate on the Dhaka University campus. The attackers, travelling on a motorcycle, fled after throwing the explosive.
A further explosion occurred beside July Chattar in Shahbagh shortly after midnight, at around 12:01am.
Shahbagh Police Station duty officer Sub-Inspector Abdul Khalek confirmed the two incidents.
Meanwhile, two cocktails exploded in quick succession at the airport roundabout shortly before midnight.
Airport Police Station Officer-in-Charge Kamrul Hasan Talukdar said unidentified people threw the explosives from the expressway before fleeing.
Another cocktail was detonated at Kalshi intersection in Mirpur during the night. The attackers arrived on a motorcycle without a number plate, set off the explosive and quickly left. A video of the incident also showed the motorcycle-borne attackers fleeing after the blast.
Mirpur Division Deputy Commissioner of Police Hasan Mohammad Nasher Rikabdar said police were investigating who was responsible.
Separately, a Baishakhi Paribahan bus was set on fire near the Coca-Cola intersection on Pragati Sarani on Friday evening. The bus operated on the Savar–Notun Bazar route.
Witnesses said the attackers set the vehicle on fire shortly after it had dropped off passengers at Notun Bazar. Transport company officials could not immediately identify those responsible.
