An explosion occurred on Tuesday on the third floor of a four-storey building, surrounded by the police’s Anti-Terrorism Unit in suspicion of being an extremist hideout in the Barpa area of Rupganj, Narayanganj.
An ATU team surrounded the house at about 10:30am based on a tip-off received during an intelligence investigation.
Local residents reported seeing the bomb disposal unit with three bomb-like objects at about 3:30pm. Approximately 30 minutes later, an explosion occurred on the third floor.
The operation, led by ATU superintendent of police (operations) Muhammad Sanwar Hossain, began at about 1:30pm.
Before the operation, Sanwar informed reporters that they believed one or more members of the banned extremist group Ansar al-Islam might be in the house, owned by Saudi Arabian expatriate Zakir Hossain.
Sanwar also mentioned that a woman extremist was arrested in Cox’s Bazar on Monday following a raid on a hideout in Kailati union of Netrakona Sadar upazila on June 8 and 9.
‘Based on the information given by her, the four-storey house was identified, where a ‘bomb-making expert’ was staying in the Barpa area of Rupganj,’ he said.
Sanwar ensured that all residents of the building were safely evacuated before the operation and that the house was disconnected from gas and electricity.
Shah Newaz, a resident of the building, said that the owner, Zakir Hossain, and his family did not live there.
A man, aged 40-42 years, had rented a flat on the third floor about three months ago. He lived with his wife and two children in the flat and worked in the Chattogram road area of Narayanganj. The flat had been locked for the last three days, Newaz added.
