Cocktails blasted at Projonmo Chattar; Rab official hurt

People run after cocktails exploded near Gonojagoron Mancha at Shahbagh in the capital on Friday. Photo: Anisur Rahman
People run after cocktails exploded near Gonojagoron Mancha at Shahbagh in the capital on Friday. Photo: Anisur Rahman

A Rab official was injured when unidentified criminals exploded two cocktails near Gonojagoron Mancha at Shahbagh Projonmo Chattar in the capital on Friday afternoon.

Police in the evening picked up several people in connection with the explosions of homemade bombs.

“We detained 15 people, most of them canteen boys, for interrogation,” Inspector (investigation) of Shahbagh Police Station MA Jalil told news agency BSS.

“They are now being interrogated at the office of detective branch (DB) of police,” he said.

Jalal Uddin, deputy assistant director of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab-3), has been admitted to the emergency unit of the Birdem hospital with wounds in his face and hands.

Police said the 55-year-old official of the elite force was on duty as the handmade bombs went off around 4:50pm.

Kudrat-e-Khuda, senior assistant superintendent of police of Rab-3, said one of the cocktails went off near a Rab team guarding the Mancha.

Jalal Uddin received injuries in his forehead and right arm, he added.

The incident occurred around 4:50pm when the protesters were holding a Nari Jagoron Samabesh (rally for awakening women) there at Shahbagh intersection.

Earlier on Thursday, they held a rally at the Shikha Chirantan at Suhrawardy Udyan marking the historic March 7.

The Shahbagh movement began on February 5, hours after Jamaat assistant secretary general Abdul Quader Mollah was sentenced to life in prison for rape, killing and genocide during country’s Liberation War in 1971.

Rejecting the verdict, Bloggers and Online Activist Network initiated the protest that soon turned into a mass movement.

It also spread to other parts of the country and eventually abroad later.

Source: The Daily Star