Dhaka: A man was killed after a crude explosive was hurled from a flyover in the Mogbazar area of the Bangladeshi capital, police officials said, triggering panic in the busy locality, according to local media reports.
The explosion took place on Wednesday evening beneath the flyover in front of the Moghbazar Freedom Fighters’ Memorial, an area that usually witnesses heavy public movement.
According to eyewitnesses, an explosive device was thrown from the top of the flyover and detonated on the road below, critically injuring the victim. He was later identified by his relatives as a man named Siam, who succumbed to his injuries shortly after the blast.
“We gather that someone threw the cocktail bomb from the flyover, which fell on the victim’s head and burst. It blew up his head. We are investigating who did this,” a police official said, adding that efforts are underway to identify and trace those involved in the attack.
Family members of the deceased said Siam worked at a private factory and happened to be in the area at the time of the explosion. His identity was not immediately confirmed after the incident and was later established by relatives who arrived at the spot.
Soon after the blast, police cordoned off the area as fear and confusion spread among locals. The attackers fled the scene immediately after throwing the explosive, officials said.
Masud Alam, Deputy Commissioner of the Ramna Division of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said initial findings indicate that the bomb was thrown from the flyover. “The motive has not yet been confirmed,” he said, adding that a detailed investigation has been initiated to determine the circumstances behind the attack.
So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the incident.
Bangladesh has been witnessing a series of violent incidents following the killing of radical Islamist leader Sharif Osman Hadi, who was shot by unidentified assailants on December 12 and later died on December 18. His death sparked widespread unrest across the country.
Following Hadi’s killing, several violent episodes were reported nationwide, with attacks targeting media houses, political and cultural establishments, as well as diplomatic missions, further destabilising the security situation.
Amid the escalating political volatility, Sharif Omar Hadi, the brother of the slain leader, has accused a vested group within the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government of orchestrating his brother’s killing in an attempt to derail the national elections scheduled for February 2026.
Addressing a programme organised by Inqilab Moncho outside the National Museum in Dhaka on Tuesday, Omar Hadi openly blamed the interim government.
“It is you who had Osman Hadi killed, and now you are trying to foil the election by using this as an issue,” he said while slamming the authorities.
He further said that his brother had supported holding the national elections by February and urged the Bangladeshi authorities not to disrupt the electoral atmosphere.
According to the country’s leading daily, The Daily Star, Omar Hadi called for swift justice in the case.
“Ensure a speedy trial of the killers so the election environment is not harmed. The government has failed to show us any visible progress. If justice for Osman Hadi is not delivered, you too will be compelled to flee Bangladesh one day,” he warned.
Meanwhile, Inqilab Moncho Member Secretary Abdullah Al Jaber, speaking at the same rally, reiterated the group’s 30-working-day ultimatum to the interim government to identify and arrest those responsible for Sharif Osman Hadi’s killing. The ultimatum was first announced in a press statement earlier this week.
(IANS)
