Following investigation and a series of raids against the use and production of explosives, intelligence agencies have identified 57 suspected political leaders as financers of the “explosive traders.”
Amongst the 57 names, 40 belonged to leaders of the BNP, Juba Dal, Chhatra Dal, Swechchhasebok Dal, Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir, while the rest of the suspects were members of the ruling party’s local units.
The suspects were allegedly involved in the profitable business as there was a high demand of explosives during the ongoing political turmoil.
Twenty-four traders in the capital have reportedly been commercially importing bomb-making materials and illegally selling the products at the local market. The materials then reach a number of bomb-making groups, who produce the final product and supply on demand.
The suspects were identified following a joint investigation of intelligence officials with the 49 police stations of the capital. However, the officials did not disclose the suspects’ names because of the ongoing nature of the investigation.
Jahangir Hossain Matubbor, deputy commissioner of Detective Branch, told the Dhaka Tribune: “The bombs seem to be readily available nowadays. We are working to trace the criminals fast and have also traced some people who are involved in the racket,” he said.
The senior DB official also said some key explosive selling spots have been identified, which include Lalbagh, Kamrangirchar, Shaympur, Keraniganj, Tongi and Beribadh area.
Intelligence officials said most of the bomb-making materials came through the Myanmar border, while the rest come from India and Pakistan. The prime importers are set to be arrested and the trafficking routes would be stopped, they added.
Earlier on Monday, police recovered 167 crude bombs and a huge quantity of bomb-making material during a raid at a house in the capital’s New Paltan area of Azimpur.
“The bombs are powerful. We have also found a kilo of two types of gunpowder,” said Officer-in-Charge of Lalbagh police station Nurul Mottakim.
Police had information that more than 70 cocktails were made daily and supplied from the house, while the recovered ingredients were enough to make 100 more.
On Monday noon, at least 18 “abandoned” crude bombs were recovered from Tin Netar Mazar (Three Leaders’ Tomb) at the Dhaka University area in a vacant shoebox.
In a separate drive on Sunday, police recovered about 200 homemade bombs and bomb-making material and arrested four alleged Jamaat-Shibir activists from a Kathhalbagan house.
According to intelligence sources, the bomb makers usually rented mess houses in the capital normally in the guise of students and service-holder bachelors.
“These bomb-makers produce bombs on order. There are also groups affiliated with them who hurl the bombs on contract. Some group leaders keep contact with local-level political leaders who give them ‘assignments’ to detonate them at certain areas,” an intelligence source said.
Seeking anonymity, the source said the “cocktail making and hurling” business has been booming over the last few months, especially during the political turmoil.
Meanwhile, the prices of crude bomb or cocktails have reportedly risen significantly, with small-sized cocktails being sold at Tk400-500 from their earlier price of Tk300, while regular-sized cocktails, which used to cost Tk500-700 are now being sold at Tk1000-1200.
Sanowar Hossain, additional deputy commissioner of Detective Branch’s bomb disposal unit, told the Dhaka Tribune that a crackdown had already began on cocktail detonators’ hubs, while the people who were backing them would also be identified and arrested.