At least five people, including four policemen, were injured in an explosion inside the Pallabi Police Station in the city on Wednesday morning.
The injured policemen have been identified as Inspector (Operation) Imranul Islam, Sub-Inspector Sajib Khan, two probationary Sub-Inspectors (PSI) Rumi Haider and Ankush and a civilian Riazul Islam.
The explosion took place around 7am when a weight-machine like object at the Police Station, leaving policemen injured, said DMP Deputy Commissioner (Media) Md Walid Hossain.
After the incident, injured Rumi and Riaz were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital while Ankush was taken to the National Eye Science Institute & Hospital and two others, including Inspector Imran, were given first aid, DC Walid said.
Earlier on Tuesday midnight, police conducted a raid in Mirpur’s Kalshi area
around 2am after being tipped off that a group of miscreants were planning to carry out subversive activities. Three people-Rafiqul Islam, Shahidul and Mosharraf-were arrested and brought to Pallabi Police Station.
Two pistols and a weight-machine like object and some other equipment were recovered from the spot, DC Walid added.
Additional Police Commissioner (Crime & Operation) of DMP Krishnapodo Roy said, there was no connection of militancy with the explosion that took place inside Pallabi Police Station in the capital early Wednesday. So arrested are not members of any militant group. “They are members of a local criminal group. Explosive substances have been found from the weight machine they were carrying,” he said while visiting the police station in the morning.
After investigation, it can also be ascertained how powerful or dangerous the bomb was. Everyone heard the sound of the explosion but the walls of the station were not damaged, he added.
Recently, police were asked to remain alert. Krishna said it was not a red alert. They have taken special security measures for the upcoming Eid and month of August, as previously many attacks happened in this month.
However, Bomb Disposal Squad of DMP’s Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit also collected the remains of the exploded device for investigation.
“Militant groups do not use these kind of explosives. Usually, we see criminal groups use such explosives,” Additional Deputy Commissioner Rahmatullah Chowdhury, in-charge of the squad, told media.
It is mentionable that on July 19, police headquarters issued a letter regarding a possible attack by members of the so-called Islamic State just ahead of Eid in the name of their so-called mission of “Bengal Khilafat,” and also alerted all the district SPs and other respective units.
In the letter, three embassies, international airports, Ahmadiyya/Shia community mosques, temples, pagodas, churches, policemen, police vehicles, and police infrastructure were mentioned as the possible targets of militants..
Meanwhile, Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for the explosion at Pallabi Police Station, according to the SITE Intelligence Group.
Rita Katz, Director of SITE Intelligence Group, said this in a Twitter post this evening.
“#ISIS claims attack in Bangladesh, targeting a police headquarters in capital #Dhaka. Marks the group’s 1st attack in the city since Aug. 2019 & comes amid an attack surge as part of the 4th wave of its “Battle of Attrition” campaign, in lead up to #EidAlAdha,” Rita said in the tweet.
However, Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police has refuted the claim.
Saiful Islam, deputy commissioner of CTTC unit, told media that ISIS made this kind of fake claims earlier and this is nothing but a part of that process by the group.
“We have so far found criminal intentions behind the incident through analysing primary motive. However, we are still investigating the incident to check further,” said Saiful in response to IS’ claims.
