Play store
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch (DB) has arrested a 23-year-old former leader of the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League for his alleged direct involvement in a crude bomb explosion in front of the Supreme Court’s main gate.
The arrestee was identified as Md Salman Islam Sakib alias Asif, former joint general secretary of the Motijheel thana unit of the Chhatra League.
DMP Additional Deputy Commissioner Niaz Mehedi disclosed the information on Tuesday.
According to police, two people arrived on a motorcycle at around 1:15pm on September 15 and detonated a cocktail-like explosive in front of the Supreme Court’s main gate before fleeing the scene. Police said the incident was intended to carry out sabotage and create panic among the public.
Following the blast, a team of the DB’s Ramna Division launched an investigation to identify those involved by analysing information technology data and intelligence inputs.
As part of the investigation, detectives conducted a drive in the Motijheel area on Sunday and arrested Asif, whom police identified as being directly involved in the incident.
Police also seized the motorcycle allegedly used in the blast, Niaz Mehedi said.
Based on information obtained during Asif’s initial questioning, DB personnel later conducted an operation in the Beribadh area of Hazaribagh at around 2:30am on Monday and recovered four unexploded cocktail-like objects, according to police.
Police said Asif had served as joint general secretary of the Motijheel thana unit of the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League.
A case has been filed with Shahbagh Police Station over the blast. The DB’s Ramna Division is continuing its investigation to identify and arrest other people allegedly involved in the incident.
The blast occurred shortly after the International Crimes Tribunal-2 sentenced seven Awami League leaders and affiliated figures to death in a crimes against humanity case linked to the July 2024 uprising. Initial reports said there were no casualties in the explosion.