Law enforcement agencies investigating the discovery of a time bomb at the Lalon Akhra Bari in Cheuriya, Kushtia, have yet to confirm the identities of those behind the sabotage attempt. Authorities are currently focusing their efforts on leads recovered from the bag containing the device, including a specific address printed on the bag, which investigators believe could provide a breakthrough in tracking the perpetrators.
The security scare unfolded late Sunday night (October 19), when police were alerted to a suspicious bag left on the premises during the three-day Lalon Shah commemoration event. The area was cordoned off immediately, and the following morning, a specialized bomb disposal unit from the Special Response Unit (SRU) in Dhaka arrived to successfully neutralize the device. The incident caused widespread alarm among the hundreds of devotees and visitors present, leading to a significant thinning of crowds at the historic site by Monday morning.
Investigators, led by Kushtia District Police spokesperson and Additional Superintendent of Police Faisal Mahmud alongside Additional Superintendent of Police (Bheramara Circle) Delwar Hossain, are scrutinizing footage from over 100 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed for the event, as well as 45 body-worn cameras used by police personnel. Preliminary analysis suggests the bomb was planted between 10:00 PM and midnight on Sunday. Officials noted that the device was armed and designed with a timer intended to detonate fireworks, which would have ignited a bottle of petrol, potentially causing a massive fire within the crowded shrine.
A critical focus of the investigation is a temporary tea vendor who had been operating near the site where the bag was recovered; the vendor has been missing since the incident occurred. Police suspect that a bystander may have accidentally disconnected the bomb’s wiring while attempting to inspect the bag, an act that likely prevented a catastrophic explosion. Experts emphasized that the lack of shrapnel suggests the primary intent was to cause a large-scale fire that could have resulted in significant burn injuries and mass casualties during the subsequent panic.
A case has been filed at the Kumarkhali Police Station against unidentified individuals under the Explosives Substances Act. Officials have recovered several components from the scene, including a rechargeable battery, circuitry, fireworks, and matches wrapped in tissue paper. Investigators are actively cross-referencing these materials with the address found on the bag, which is linked to a sweet shop in a neighboring district. While no arrests have been made as of Tuesday, police remain optimistic that the forensic evidence and ongoing digital surveillance will lead to a swift identification of the suspects.
