Business owner faces renewed threats in Dhaka as suspects in house bombing remain at large

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A Dhaka businessman is reporting a campaign of intimidation and targeted violence against his family, following a recent explosive attack on his home in Mirpur. Mohaimin Islam, son of businessman Afroz Uddin, alleged that he was pursued and threatened by suspected assailants on Wednesday night while returning to his residence in the Uttar Bishil area. Local police have confirmed that two separate general diaries have been filed in connection with the incident, which follows a string of unresolved threats linked to an ongoing murder trial.

The escalating tension stems from a June 23 incident in which two men arrived at Afroz Uddin’s Mirpur residence in an auto-rickshaw and detonated a homemade bomb at the property’s main gate. While the blast damaged a truck parked nearby, no injuries were reported. Security footage from the scene allowed police to identify two primary suspects, identified as Salauddin and Karim. Despite these leads, the family claims the suspects remain at large and are now actively targeting them to force the withdrawal of a long-standing murder case.

Afroz Uddin serves as the plaintiff in the 2005 murder case of his brother, Aftab Uddin, a prominent shopping center official who was fatally shot in Mirpur. The legal battle has spanned nearly two decades, with the family alleging that key figures—including underworld figures currently believed to be abroad—have repeatedly sought to derail the proceedings through threats and intimidation. Although the state previously attempted to withdraw the case on political grounds, the High Court intervened to revive the trial, which is now at the testimony stage in a local tribunal.

In his complaints to the Mirpur and Shah Ali police stations, Afroz Uddin expressed fear that the suspects, who he says are pressuring him to abandon the case, intend to carry out a lethal attack against him and his family. He noted that he and other witnesses have been subjected to consistent harassment since providing testimony in court.

Police officials stated that investigations are ongoing and that specialized teams led by the Mirpur Police Station officer-in-charge are conducting operations to apprehend the identified suspects. However, for the family, the lack of arrests during the nine days since the initial bombing has left them living in a state of constant alarm, fearing that the judicial process is once again being undermined by those they hold responsible for decades of violence.