Bangladesh: Crude bomb explosion in Dhaka; 1 killed

One person was killed in a crude bomb explosion in the Bangladeshi capital on Wednesday, police said. Witnesses said unidentified men hurled the bomb from a flyover in front of Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangsad, the central office of 1971 Liberation War veterans, in Dhaka's Moghbazar area.

A crude bomb, hurled by unidentified men from the flyover, struck a person who died on the spot, inspector (operations) of Hatirjheel Police Station, Md Mohiuddin, was quoted as saying by The Daily Star newspaper.

An investigation has been launched into the incident.


The incident comes a day before the arrival of Bangladesh Nationalist Party's acting chairman Tarique Rahman, the heir to the influential Zia family, who is set to return home on Thursday, ending his nearly 17 years in exile in London.

Rahman, the 60-year-old son of ailing former premier Khaleda Zia, has emerged as a leading contender for prime minister in the upcoming February general elections. "This will be a defining political moment," BNP spokesman Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said while referring to the return of Rahman.

Home adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury earlier said law enforcement agencies have been instructed to maintain maximum vigilance and adopt top-tier security measures. Authorities have deployed a 'double-layer' security cordon combining state and party measures across Dhaka ahead of Rahman's arrival.

A group of US lawmakers expressed concern over the total ban on Awami League of Bangladesh's deposed PM Sheikh Hasina ahead of elections scheduled in the country early next year. In a letter sent to chief adviser Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday, the lawmakers said that Bangladeshi people deserve to choose an elected government through a free and fair election, calling on him to ensure 'inclusive elections'.

Yunus' press secretary Shafiqul Alam on Wednesday said he was not aware of the letter but said the interim government's stance regarding Awami League remained unchanged.

Meanwhile, fresh protests were reported from several places, including Lucknow, Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, Howrah in West Bengal, Agartala in Tripura and Bihar, over the killing of a Hindu Bangladeshi youth, Dipu Charan Das. In West Bengal, BJP supporters clashed with the police after their procession was stopped before it could reach the Howrah Bridge. Protests also erupted along the Indo-Bangladesh Petrapole border in North 24 Parganas district. BSF and police were deployed in huge numbers in the area to control the situation.

Security in New Delhi has been beefed up following protests by right wing groups near the Bangladesh high commission on Tuesday.