3 arrested for disrupting puja at Tantibazar with explosive

Bangladesh Police

Dhaka, Oct. 12 - Police arrested three men on Friday night after they allegedly detonated a small explosive device and attempted to mug worshippers at a temple in Old Dhaka’s Tantibazar neighborhood.

The suspects, identified as Akash, 23, Md. Hridoy, and Md. Jibon, both 19, were arrested  after setting off a chocolate bomb at around 8 pm to create panic among temple-goers. As worshippers fled, the suspects began snatching valuables, according to Kotwali Police Sub-Inspector Md. Liton.

Five people were injured during the chaos, though their identities have not yet been known. The injured were taken to Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital for treatment. SI Liton said, one sharp weapon was recovered from the suspects.

Preliminary reports suggest that the suspects are homeless men, commonly referred to as “tokai.” Police are preparing to file charges against them, he added.

Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Jasim Uddin of Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Lalbagh Division said, officers are reviewing nearby surveillance footage to clarify the incidents. "We are still determining whether this was purely a mugging or if other factors were involved," he added.

Witnesses reported that the troublemakers attempted to snatch a gold chain from a woman behind the temple’s Puja Mandap, injuring four people who tried to intervene.-UNB