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Nilphamari: An active hand grenade believed to date back to the time of World War II has been recovered from a pond in Saidpur upazila of Nilphamari.
The grenade was recovered around 5:30pm on Friday (September 4) from a pond belonging to Ashir Uddin Shah in Shashkandar Dangapara area of Botlagari Union by members of RAB-13.
Following the recovery, RAB-13’s bomb disposal unit arrived at the scene. Later, on the instructions of senior authorities, the grenade was handed over to Saidpur Police Station.
Local residents said two young men, Tanvir and Ansarul, entered the pond to bathe on Thursday morning. At one point, Tanvir’s foot came into contact with an object submerged underwater. They later retrieved the object and took it to the pond bank, where they handled it for some time. Eventually, they threw the grenade back into the pond.
Locals alleged that although they informed Saidpur Police Station about the matter, police initially dismissed the object as a toy. They then alerted RAB.
Upon receiving the information, a team from RAB-13’s Nilphamari CPC-2 went to the scene on Friday. Led by Nilphamari RAB Squad Commander ASP ATM Touhidul Islam and Company Commander Ashraful Kabir, the team recovered the grenade from the pond.
As the object was suspected to be an active grenade, a bomb disposal team from Rangpur arrived at the scene. The team, led by Sergeant Abdul Bari, examined the grenade.
RAB said the grenade did not appear to be one used in recent times. It is believed to date either from the 1971 Liberation War or even earlier, possibly from World War II. It is suspected to be a Model 36 hand grenade.
Authorities have initiated efforts to drain the pond and conduct a search to determine whether any other grenades or explosive devices remain submerged in the water.
RAB-13 Nilphamari CPC-2 Company Commander Ashraful Kabir said, “We received the information around noon. After arriving here, we found an object resembling a grenade. It is not a grenade used in recent times. We believe it may date from 1971 or the World War II period. We suspect it is a Model 36 hand grenade.”