C T Online Desk: Mystery over a suspected petrol bomb attack on a puja mandap at Tanti Bazar in Old Dhaka intensifies as local people claimed it to be an act of sabotage while the police said it was just an incident of mugging.
Eyewitnesses said the way the mandap was attacked on Friday night, it appeared to be pre-planned and a sabotage attempt.
The police said they are trying to arrest the person who hurled the petrol bomb.
On Friday night, a youth hurled a petrol bomb at the mandap, but it did not explode, and no one got hurt.
When some local people tried to hold the bomb thrower, he stabbed them with a knife, leaving five injured, said sources.
The injured were admitted to Sir Salimullah Medical College and Mitford Hospital. They were Dipto Dey, 26, Jantu Dhor, 50, Khokon Dhor, 40, Sagor Ghosh, 26 and Ramiz Uddin, 30.
Meanwhile, a WhatsApp message sent by Deputy Commissioner (Media and PR) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Talebur Rahman read that at about 8pm on Friday, a group of muggers tried to snatch a gold chain from a woman behind Puja Mandap-17.
“Hearing her shout, people rushed to her and then the muggers indiscriminately stabbed them, leaving five injured. Local people then caught three muggers and handed them over to the police,” said the statement.
The arrestees were Akash, 23, from Gaibandha, Mohamamd Hridoy, 23, from Patuakhali, and Mohammad Jibon, 19, from Noakhali.
Police recovered a chain and a knife from the detainees and a bottle of a liquid substance.
However, the leaders of the puja celebration committee said the mugging and the hurling of the petrol bomb were two separate incidents.
They said the hurling of the bomb was an act of sabotage.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Kotwali Police Station Enamul Haque Khan told the Daily Sun that they could not arrest anybody else other than the three detained earlier.
The process of filing a case over the incident was underway, he added.
After the incident, Information and Broadcasting Adviser Nahid Islam visited Sir Salimullah Medical College and Mitford Hospital and assured the victims of exemplary punishment for those involved in the attack.
He also assured them of bearing their treatment cost.
“Miscreants tried to commit sabotage, but we will not give them that chance. The miscreants will be arrested soon,” he said. After that, he visited the puja mandap.
