Cocktail bomb explosions in two districts — Jashore and Madaripur — have injured eight people on Saturday morning, amid heightened tensions around August 15.
In Keshobpur, Jashore, a cocktail bomb exploded around 10:45 a.m. on the Jashore-Satkhira road in the Madhyakul area, injuring motor worker Jewel, 35, in the leg. He was admitted to the local government hospital. Police said two more unexploded cocktail bombs wrapped in polythene were found at the scene.
Local residents alleged that former Keshobpur municipality mayor Rafiq Morol — described as a leader of the banned Awami League — and former councillor Kamal Khan, a suspect in multiple cases, had held a secret meeting at a fish farm in the Madhyakul area on Friday night with 15 to 20 associates to plan sabotage around August 15. Residents said they had informed the police station, but no action was taken.
Keshobpur police station officer-in-charge Roksona Khatun confirmed the explosion and said additional police have been deployed. She acknowledged that residents had informed her about the Friday night meeting at the fish farm.
In a separate incident, a cocktail bomb exploded on the steps of a house in ward 9 of Kalkini municipality, Madaripur, injuring seven students of the nearby Gopalpur Darus Sunnah Women’s Madrasa. Two are in critical condition, and one has been transferred to Dhaka for advanced treatment.
Police and local sources said the students had gone to the neighboring house of Iman Sardar during their morning break around 9 a.m. They found a ball-shaped object at the foot of the staircase and, not realizing what it was, handled it. The device detonated with a loud blast, injuring all seven.
A domestic worker at the house, Baby, 40, had noticed the object earlier while sweeping and alerted the homeowner, but it was not taken seriously.
Madaripur additional superintendent of police Faria Rafiq Bhabna said the scene is being examined and evidence collected. An investigation is underway to determine how the device got there and who is responsible.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report