One person was killed in a crude bomb explosion in Dhaka on Wednesday evening after an explosive device was hurled from a flyover in the Moghbazar area, police said.
The blast took place in front of Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangsad, the central office of 1971 Liberation War veterans. Witnesses told police that unidentified men threw the bomb from the flyover, striking a man who was standing below.
Inspector (Operations) of Hatirjheel Police Station Md Mohiuddin was quoted by The Daily Star as saying, “A crude bomb, hurled by unidentified men from the flyover, struck a person who died on the spot.”
Police said the deceased was a private shop employee who had stopped at a roadside tea stall under the flyover.
The area was cordoned off soon after the explosion, and police began collecting evidence from the spot. An investigation has been launched to identify those involved and to determine the motive behind the attack.
The incident comes a day ahead of the return of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, who is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on Thursday, ending nearly 17 years of exile in London.
Rahman is a key political figure and the son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia.
Ahead of his arrival, Home Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury had said law enforcement agencies were instructed to maintain maximum vigilance and ensure top-tier security arrangements.
Authorities have since put in place a “double-layer” security cordon across Dhaka, combining state forces with party-level measures.