Umbrella bomb planted during Rath Jatra would have exploded if opened: DMP

The improvised explosive device (IED) recovered from an abandoned umbrella beneath Motijheel Metro Rail Station yesterday (24 July) was designed to explode if the umbrella was opened, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has said.

The device was found while a reverse Rath Jatra procession, one of the Hindu community’s major religious festivals, was passing through the area with hundreds of participants. Investigators believe opening the umbrella could have triggered an explosion, causing 15 to 20 casualties.

Ansar personnel assigned to metro rail security spotted the umbrella around 6pm after noticing a blinking red light and hearing sounds coming from inside it. The DMP’s Bomb Disposal Unit arrived and defused the IED around 7pm. A passerby, Miraj Ahmed, 33, suffered an injury to his left eye during the operation.

According to Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) sources, the IED was assembled using batteries, an electrical circuit and a detonator (blasting cap). It was rigged to explode when the umbrella’s switch was pressed and contained about 1-1.5kg of sulphur, batteries, electrical circuitry and numerous iron ball bearings packed inside a GI pipe to maximise blast impact.

Investigators suspect the device may have been intended to target the reverse Rath Jatra procession, as it lacked the capacity to significantly damage metro rail infrastructure.

Motijheel Police Station Sub-Inspector Mirza Mohammad Mukta has filed a case under the Explosives Act. According to the FIR, the procession began at 1pm from Dhakeshwari National Temple, passed through Dainik Bangla intersection, circled Motijheel’s Shapla Chattar and continued via Ittefaq intersection to Swamibagh Ashram.

After the umbrella was found beside the metro station’s generator room, police cordoned off the area and diverted the procession. The Bomb Disposal Unit was called after the procession had passed and reached the scene within seven minutes, the FIR said.

Police recovered burnt umbrella fabric and handle, fragments of Sunlight and 9-volt batteries, umbrella rods, GI pipe pieces and 12 ball bearings.

Investigators have yet to identify who left the umbrella because there was no CCTV coverage at the exact location. They are examining footage from nearby cameras, police body-worn cameras and drones.

DMP Motijheel Division Deputy Commissioner Harun Or Rashid said local police, the Detective Branch, CTTC and other intelligence agencies were jointly investigating the case.

DMP Additional Commissioner (Crime and Operations) Mohammad Osman Gani said investigators are examining all possibilities and it is too early to confirm whether the device specifically targeted the Rath Jatra procession.