A series of recent violent incidents across the country appear to be part of a coordinated attempt to carry out sabotage ahead of the 13th national parliamentary election.
Intelligence sources say at least three groups are actively involved in planned acts of violence in Dhaka and other parts of the country, with the apparent aim of disrupting the electoral process.
The latest incident took place on Wednesday evening in the capital’s Mogbazar area, where a cocktail attack killed a young man identified as Siam Majumder, aged 21.
Police said Siam was an employee of Zahid Car Decoration in Mogbazar, where he had worked for the past three to four years. At the time of the attack, he was drinking tea in front of the Muktiyoddha Sangsad building. According to police, at around 7:00pm, a cocktail was thrown from the flyover above, killing him on the spot.
Hatirjheel police station sub-inspector Saidur Rahman confirmed the victim’s identity, while the deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Ramna Division, Masud Alam, said initial findings suggest the explosive device was thrown from the flyover. He said the motive for the attack was not yet clear and that the incident was under investigation.
Masud Alam added that CCTV footage from surrounding areas was being collected and analysed to identify those responsible. He said the possibility that the blast was part of a planned act of sabotage could not be ruled out.
Former inspector general of police Ashraful Huda told TIMES of Bangladesh that groups who stand to gain from disrupting the election may be behind the violence. He said elements linked to the ousted government, along with domestic and foreign conspirators, could be involved. He urged the government to take strong action, including tougher operations against militants and increased intelligence surveillance.
The Mogbazar blast comes amid a series of violent incidents reported over the past several days.
The wave of violence began with the shooting of Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson of Inqilab Moncho, who was shot during a daytime election campaign in Dhaka’s Bijoynagar area on 12 December. He later died while undergoing treatment in Singapore on 18 December.
On the day news of Hadi’s death emerged, arson attacks were carried out on the offices of Prothom Alo, The Daily Star, and Chhayanaut. A day later, Udichi was also set on fire.
On 18 December, Dipu Chandra Das was beaten and burned to death in Bhaluka, Mymensingh, following allegations of blasphemy.
In the early hours of 19 December, a fire was set at a locked house in Bhabanipur, Lakshmipur, resulting in the death of a young child, Ayesha.
The Mogbazar bombing is the latest addition to this sequence of incidents.
Contacted for comment, AIG (Media and PR) AHM Shahadat Hossain of Police Headquarters said law enforcement agencies were on full alert ahead of the election to prevent any untoward incidents. He said a special nationwide operation, “Devil Hunt 2,” was underway to arrest militants and recover illegal weapons. He added that the list of suspected extremists had been updated and that the law and order situation was being monitored round the clock from police headquarters.
Despite these assurances, repeated incidents of violence and sabotage attempts have fuelled public anxiety. Citizens have increasingly questioned the government’s ability to maintain law and order, as concerns continue to grow over the lack of effective preventive measures.
