Bomb-maker dies in blast in capital Dhaka

A bomb blast left one dead and another severely injured in the capital’s Hazaribagh area yesterday when the bomb that the victims were making accidentally went off, police said.

Police said blast survivor Raju Hossain, 26, was general secretary of Ward 22 of Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal, the BNP’s youth wing.

The other blast casualty, Jashim, 20, identified as a Jubo Dal leader of the Companyghat area of Hazaribagh, died on the way to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).

Police said the explosion took place while the two men were building a bomb on the first floor of a three-storey building occupied by Raju and his family.

Raju is undergoing treatment at the DMCH casualty ward.

“The incident occurred around 4:30pm [yesterday] while the men were making bombs at the house of Raju at 136, Bhagalpur Lane in Hazaribagh,” Hazaribagh police station Officer-in-Charge Kazi Mainul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune.

“They suffered critical splinter injuries in the explosion. One of them later died,” he said.

Police rushed to the explosion site, he said, adding that the criminals hurled bombs at the police leaving three policemen injured.

Raju claimed he was not linked to any political party.

He said his younger brother Jissan Hossain, 22, is a heart patient and his elder brother, Shahid Hossain, is an employee of Rabi.

Raju’s father, Sheikh Kamal Uddin has a laundry shop and his mother Fahmida Begum is a housewife.

Raju received injuries to the eyes.

He said he was locked inside the room and when he later opened the door, there was an explosion with a tremendous sound.

Sukhendra Chandra Sarker, operation officer of the police station, said the Jubo Dal owned the house that Raju, his father, mother and sister live in.

He said the explosion took place in Raju’s room on the first floor of the three-storey building.

“We suspect the bomb exploded while it was being made, utterly devastating the room,” he said.

Mokter Hossain, an eyewitness and local resident, told the Dhaka Tribune that upon hearing the explosion he rushed to the spot and saw five or six people running away from the house, while another jumped off the second floor balcony.

“At that time, I saw Raju also running away but we held him back,” says Mokter. Kazi Mainul, OC of Hazaribagh police station said police rushed to the spot and found five or six people running away.

He said police tried to stop the fleeing men but they hurled petrol bombs at the law enforcers. Three policemen were injured, he said.

“We have detained Raju’s mother, Fahmida, and cousin, Parvez, 32,” Mainul said.

Three crude bombs, bomb-making materials and a pistol magazine were recovered from the site, he said.

No case was filed with the police station in this regard.

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