One cocktail after another is falling: After churches, now target advisors and Jamaati organizations

Staff Correspondent

Law enforcement agencies have been on high alert as the number of bomb attacks in the capital has increased. After the attacks on the Mirpur branch of Grameen Bank last week and the business establishment of fisheries and livestock consultant Farida Akhtar today, four bomb blasts have occurred in front of Ibne Sina and Midas Setters in Dhanmondi area.

Earlier, incidents of throwing cocktails also occurred in front of the Holy Rosary Church in Tejgaon area, St. Mary’s Cathedral Church in Kakrail, St. Mary’s Church in Ramna, and St. Joseph’s Higher Secondary School in Mohammadpur.

While no casualties were reported in all the incidents, they have raised security concerns.

According to information received, two bombs exploded in front of the gate of Ibn Sina Specialized Hospital on Road 9/A in Dhanmondi at approximately 7 am on Monday, November 10. At the same time, two bombs also exploded in front of the nearby Midas Dental Center.

The sound of the explosion startled residents and hospital staff. Dhanmondi Police Station Sub-Inspector (DB) Mohammad Rashed Khan said, “Evidence has been collected from the scene and CCTV footage is being examined.”

“Efforts are being made to quickly arrest the perpetrators.” He did not elaborate on the motive for the attack.

Prior to this attack, on Saturday night, November 8, a bomb exploded in front of the gate of St. Mary’s Cathedral Church in Kakrail, and another was recovered unexploded.

“Unknown individuals came on a motorcycle and threw two cocktails. It appears to have been targeted at the church,” said Mazharul Islam, assistant commissioner of Ramna division.

Another explosion was reported near St. Mary’s Church in the Ramna area the same night.

Earlier, on Friday night, November 8, a bomb exploded in front of St. Joseph Higher Secondary School in Mohammadpur, when there was no electricity supply in the area.

Police have yet to identify the attacker. In October, two cocktail explosions took place in front of the Holy Rosary Church in Tejgaon area, in which no injuries were reported. Police have arrested two suspects in that incident.

Last week, there were cocktail attacks on the main branch of Grameen Bank in Mirpur and today on Farida Akhtar’s Prabartana business building, which are suspected to be linked to political unrest.

The Bangladesh Christian Association (BCA) has strongly condemned the attacks and demanded a speedy investigation by the Yunus government. “These incidents are deeply worrying and condemnable, raising questions about the safety of religious minorities,” the BCA said in a statement.

Local residents and businessmen are expressing anger over the lack of security. An employee at Ibn Sina Hospital said, “There is a rush of patients in the morning, so an accident could have happened at any time in such an attack.”

BNP and Awami League leaders have called the attacks ‘political vendetta’ and ‘a failure of the Yunus government’.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has launched a citywide security drill and issued an alert at all police stations.

Initial police investigations revealed that the cocktails were locally made and that young men riding motorcycles threw them and fled.

There has been no official statement from Yunus’ government yet, but experts say such attacks are a result of political unrest and require a swift investigation. This series of incidents has instilled fear in the public mind and the government needs to take drastic measures, otherwise the situation could become more complicated.