Crude bomb blasts in Gulshan: 9 more accused sent to jail

A Dhaka court today (13 September) ordered nine more accused in a case over alleged crude bomb blasts and sabotage in Gulshan to be sent to jail pending completion of the investigation.

Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Joshita Islam passed the order after a hearing this afternoon.

Sub-Inspector Moktar Hossain of the Dhaka Metropolitan Prosecution Division confirmed the matter.

The accused are Rehana Parvin, 43, Mohammad Saiful Islam, 52, Mohammad Jewel Sikder, 33, Mohammad Nazim Uddin, 34, Mohammad Sahed, 37, Shanto Sheikh, 28, Mohammad Harun Maizbhandari, 55, Khaled Mahmud Faisal, 40, and Mohammad Shafiqul Rahman, 50.

Earlier, Gulshan police Sub-Inspector Mohammad Ruhul Amin, also the investigation officer, produced the accused before the court and sought an order to keep them in jail until the investigation is completed.

The prosecution told the court that the accused had provided information about the incident during preliminary questioning, while their names and addresses had been forwarded to the respective police stations for verification.

The investigating officer also said the accused needed further interrogation and that separate remand petitions would be submitted.

A Dhaka court on 12 September placed 24 other accused in the same case on 10-day remand.

According to the case statement, leaders and activists of various affiliated organisations of the Awami League, whose activities have been suspended, and the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League gathered in the Gulshan Police Station area around 11:45am on 11 September.

The gathering was allegedly organised to chant anti-government and anti-state slogans, create disorder and carry out activities aimed at undermining the image of the elected government and putting it in a difficult position, the case statement said.

It further alleged that crude bombs were exploded in and around the area, creating panic among the public.

According to the statement, members of a banned organisation carried out the explosions with the alleged intention of damaging the government’s image and causing damage to state property and people’s lives and property.

When police attempted to disperse the gathering, the accused allegedly threw crude bombs at them.

Police later fired two rounds of rubber bullets to bring the situation under control, prompting the group to disperse and flee, according to the case statement.

Police seized five crude bombs from the scene.

Gulshan Police Station Sub-Inspector Mohammad Mahbub Hossain filed the case under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

The case names 118 people as accused and includes another 80–100 unidentified people.