Bomb Defused Near Dhaka Metro as IED Targets Hindu Rath Yatra Parade

Late Friday night in Dhaka, a routine patrol turned into a tense showdown when officers spotted an abandoned umbrella tucked under the Motijheel metro station. Inside, a crude improvised explosive device – roughly a 1.5 kg sulphur‑filled pipe bomb wrapped with barbed wire and metal shards – was waiting for someone to open it.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Assistant Commissioner Hussain Muhammad Farabi said the device was clearly meant for the Rath Yatra procession that was due to pass the area a few hours later. The plan was simple: when a devotee pulled the umbrella’s button, the circuit would close, the bomb would blow, and the resulting shrapnel would scatter among the crowd.

Bomb‑disposal experts were called in, and while they worked to render the device harmless, a passer‑by named Miraj Ahmed, 33, was struck by a stray fragment. He was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital with a wound near his left eye. “I heard a loud bang, and a piece hit me just below the eye,” Ahmed told The Daily Star.

Motijheel Police Sub‑Inspector Mukta filed a case under the Explosive Substances Act, registering it as a pre‑meditated attempt to endanger public safety and stir panic. No suspect has been identified yet.

The incident adds to a growing list of attacks aimed at Bangladesh’s minority communities. It comes just weeks after Hindu leaders demanded the release of Haridas Chandra Tarani Das, who was detained over an alleged money‑laundering case linked to a proposed 81‑foot statue of Lord Ram in Gaibandha district. Protesters, organized by the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, have been urging the government to protect religious freedom and stop interference with places of worship.

While the bomb was safely defused, the episode serves as a stark reminder that tensions remain high for minorities in Bangladesh, and that vigilance from law‑enforcement and civil society alike is essential to keep such gatherings safe.