Arson, bomb blasts mark several spots

Violence marked a good number of spots in and outside Dhaka last night ahead of Dhaka Lockdown program called by the Awami League for today.
The Awami League, whose activities remain officially banned, announced the Dhaka Lockdown program on November 13 as the International Crimes Tribunal is set to fix a date today for the verdict against Sheikh Hasina on charges of crimes against humanity committed during the July Uprising in 2024..

HAND GRENADES SET OFF AT DHAKA UNIVERSITY'S TSC:

Two hand grenades were detonated at Dhaka University's TSC. Proctor Associate Prof Saifuddin Ahmed said the blasts occurred around 9:30pm on Wednesday, adding that no casualties were reported.

He said, "Miscreants threw two hand grenades from near the Suhrawardy Udyan. Our proctorial team and police are conducting a joint operation."
At the site, a documentary titled "Fascist Disappearances, Murders, and Loot", organized by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, was being screened. The screening was halted after the explosions.

Following the blasts, DU students staged a protest march, leaving Sir AF Rahman Hall and rallying through campus streets.

TRAIN CARRIAGE CATCHES FIRE AT TEJGAON RAILWAY STATION:

A stationary train caught fire at Tejgaon Railway Station in Dhaka.

Dhaka Railway Police Station chief Zainal Abedin said the incident occurred around 9:30 pm on Wednesday.

"No one was injured in the fire," he confirmed.

A video circulating on social media shows flames engulfing an empty carriage of the parked train.

Officer Zainal added, "Around 9:30pm, a fire was set in an outlying coach near Tejgaon Station. It was extinguished immediately."

POLICE VEHICLE BURNS IN DHAKA'S RAMNA, MICROBUS CATCHES FIRE IN UTTARA:

A police pickup van has caught on fire in front of the Ramna Police Station in Dhaka's Kakrail while a fire was sparked on a microbus in the capital's Uttara.

Both incidents occurred due to mechanical problems, according to police and the Fire Service. No one was hurt in either incident.

A Chinese-made pickup van caught on fire outside Ramna Police Station around 11am on Wednesday. The fire soon gutted the vehicle. The incident occurred as the vehicle was undergoing repairs, according to Golam Faruk, chief of the police station.

The OC said the mechanic accidentally connected the two batteries during repairs, causing the fire.

A HiAce microbus caught on fire in the Jashim Uddin area of Dhaka's Uttara around 7am on Wednesday.

Rafi Al Faruk, duty officer at the Fire Service Control Room, said that two units of the Fire Service rushed to the scene when the fire was reported. The blaze was sparked by the engine overheating, he said.

BUS SET ON FIRE IN MIRPUR:

Arsonists have set fire to a local bus belonging to Shatabdi Paribahan outside Sony Cinema Hall in Dhaka's Mirpur in broad daylight.
The outbreak of the fire immediately triggered widespread panic across the area, bringing traffic on the road to a halt and causing people to run for safety.

The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon.

Shah Ali Police chief Golam Azam said the arson attack took place around 1pm outside the Sony Cinema Hall. The criminals boarded the bus, which was travelling from Mirpur 2, disguised as passengers.

Locals immediately extinguished the fire. No casualties were reported in the incident but several seats in the front section of the vehicle were damaged.

FOUR CRACKERS FOUND ABANDONED NEAR SHER-E-BANGLANAGAR EC BUILDING:

Police on Wednesday recovered four handmade crackers from the Swarnali Chattar area beside the Election Commission (EC) building in the capital.

According to police and EC officials, some EC staff first noticed the suspicious objects around 10 am and informed the authorities.

Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Imaul Hoque confirmed the incident, saying, "We recovered four handmade crackers wrapped with red scotch tape. Explosives were found inside them. Later, the bomb disposal unit defused the devices."

An EC official, seeking anonymity, said police have taken the crackers for examination, and security measures around the EC building and nearby areas have been tightened.

Earlier on October 25, a cocktail was exploded in front of the EC building and police arrested a youth from the scene just after the explosion.

RAB RECOVERS PETROL BOMBS, COCKTAILS FROM MOHAMMADPUR:

Members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) recovered six petrol bombs and four crude bombs (cocktails) from the Rayerbazar Intellectuals' Graveyard area under Mohammadpur Police Station on Wednesday evening.

The explosives were found abandoned during a special drive conducted by the Crime Prevention Special Company (CPSC) around 6:00 pm, said RAB-2 Media Officer Additional Superintendent of Police Md Shamsul Islam.

Law enforcers suspect that miscreants had stockpiled the bombs to carry out acts of sabotage centering the 'Lockdown' announced by the Awami League and its affiliated organisations for Thursday (November 13).

The Bomb Disposal Unit of RAB Headquarters is handling the disposal of the recovered explosives, the official added.

AUTORICKSHAW TORCHED IN NARAYANGANJ, HAND GRENADES EXPLODES IN MANIKGANJ:
 
A CNG-powered autorickshaw has been set on fire on the Dhaka-Narayanganj link road, while a hand grenade has exploded in the Manikganj bus stand area.

The arson took place outside the Youth Development office in Narayanganj's Jalkuri area around 9:30pm on Wednesday, said Fatullah Police chief Anwar Hossain.

Earlier, a hand grenades exploded in the Manikganj bus stand area around 8:30pm, according to district police.

Referring to the primary investigation in Jalkuri, Officer Anwar said: "Two youths hired a CNG-powered autorickshaw from Chashara, claiming they were heading to the Signboard area.

"After reaching Jalkuri, the passengers asked the driver to stop, saying someone would get on with them.

"On the pretext of talking on the phone, they got off the autorickshaw, set it on fire, and fled from the scene.

Officer Anwar said since the incident site falls under the Siddhirganj police station area, they will take further action in this regard.

Meanwhile, leaders and activists of Narayanganj BNP and allied organisations marched against the Awami League from evening to 10pm.

National Citizen Party (NCP) leaders and activists also held a torch procession after 9pm against the Awami League.

>>Agency