4 AL & affiliate activists held after Dhanmondi cocktail blast

The arrestees are Md Shaminur Rahman, 53, president of the Awami League in Tejgaon Industrial Area Police Station area; Kamrun Nahar Lipi, 50, joint convener of the party in the same area; Md Nazmul Hasan, 49, an activist of the banned Jubo League; and Md Billal Hossain, 45, an Awami League activist.

According to Dhanmondi Model Police Station and Kalabagan Police Station, a group of 10-15 activists of the banned Awami League arrived in the area adjacent to the Kalabagan Krira Chakra ground on Mirpur Road around 12:05pm on Friday on seven to eight motorcycles.

They allegedly displayed banners and exploded several cocktails in an attempt to create panic and disorder.

Hearing the loud explosions, the officer-in-charge of Dhanmondi Model Police Station rushed to the spot. The miscreants also threw a cocktail targeting him, but he managed to protect himself and arrested Nazmul and Billal, police said.

Later, as the others were fleeing, Kalabagan police arrested Shaminur and Kamrun Nahar in front of Bikrampur Mistanna Bhandar, beneath the Kalabagan Bus Stand footbridge.

Police initially recovered three live cocktails from the scene. Later, acting on information provided by the arrestees, they conducted further searches and recovered 10 more cocktails, bringing the total to 13.

All 13 cocktails were subsequently safely defused by the DMP Bomb Disposal Team.

Police said legal proceedings in connection with the incident were underway.

Contacted over phone, Dhanmondi Police Station OC Imdadul Islam said the explosion occurred around 12:05pm, shortly before Juma prayers, at the intersection of Dhanmondi Road No. 8 and Road No. 10, near Kalabagan Bus Stand.

He clarified that the cocktail exploded in front of Abesh Hotel, opposite the residence of International Crimes Tribunal-2 Judge Manjurul Bashid, not directly in front of the residence, reports UNB.