Mortar shell explosion rocks Munshiganj village, damages at least 50 homes
The powerful explosion, which occurred at 7:56pm, shattered windows, cracked walls, and even killed three cows belonging to a local farmer
A mortar shell recovered from a crop field in Aralia village of Munshiganj's Gazaria upazila was detonated this evening (29 April) by police bomb disposal experts — sending shockwaves through the area and causing damage to at least 50 homes and shops.
The powerful explosion, which occurred at 7:56pm, shattered windows, cracked walls, and even killed three cows belonging to a local farmer. Locals reported intense tremors as far as four kilometres away in Baluakandi village.
Confirming the incident to The Business Standard, Gazaria Police Officer-in-Charge Md Anwar Alam Azad said, "Some structures were damaged due to the blast. Locals became agitated, and additional police were deployed. The army is also on its way to the scene."
According to police, the shell was discovered yesterday morning in a field near a mosque by farmer Hanif while tilling the land. Initially believed to be a boundary pillar, authorities later identified it as an unexploded mortar shell believed to be from the 1971 Liberation War.
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Following the blast, police and several journalists faced anger from villagers at the scene.
Moazzem Hossain Jewel, Gazaria correspondent for Dainik Amader Shomoy, said, "After the explosion, locals blamed us for not insisting the shell be detonated further away. They assaulted us and tried to seize our mobile phones."
Abdur Rashid, a tea stall owner located nearly 300 meters from the blast site, said, "My shop was blown apart. Around 50 houses were damaged. Cracks developed in nearby buildings, including a mosque."
