Blast near Dhaka court's prosecution building; police suspect firecracker
Public Prosecutor Omar Faruk Faruki said the incident was intended to create panic.
A loud explosion was reported in front of the public prosecutor's building of the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court this afternoon (18 November).
The incident occurred around 4:15pm, but no casualties were reported.
Kotwali Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Moniruzzaman told reporters that investigators found no evidence of a crude bomb.
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"The blast appears to be from small firecrackers," he said.
Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court's Public Prosecutor Omar Faruk Faruki said the incident was intended to create panic.
"Similar incidents have taken place nationwide after the [ICT death sentence] verdict against Hasina. This could be part of that pattern — an attempt to intimidate us," he added.
Zahirul Islam, a public prosecutor of the Anti-Corruption Commission and an eyewitness, said he was reviewing a case file inside the office when he heard a loud bang. "I stepped outside and saw something resembling a crude bomb had exploded."
Zahirul noted that several verdicts in corruption cases against Hasina are expected next month. "This feels like a threat, perhaps an attempt to discourage us from carrying out judicial proceedings," he said.
