The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commissioner has transferred six police officers, including a deputy commissioner (DC) of DMP Mirpur Division, over the bomb blast at Pallabi police station in Dhaka on July 29.
The explosion had injured four officers and one other.
DMP Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam on Saturday transferred Mirpur division DC Mostak Ahmed and Nazrul Islam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Pallabi police station, to other posts through an official order.
According to the order, Mirpur DC Mostak was transferred as DC for DMP's Protection division, Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Md Mizanur Rahman was transferred as ADC for operations at DMP headquarters, Pallabi zone Assistant Commissioner (AC) Firoz Kawsar was transferred as AC for welfare and sports.
Also Read - Bomb explodes at Pallabi police station, 5 injured
Pallabi police station OC Nazrul Islam was transferred to DMPs Prosecution division, Pallabi police station Inspector (Investigation) Mohammad Abdul Mabud was transferred to Detective Branch (DB) Lalbagh Division, and Pallabi police station Inspector (Operation) Mohammad Emranul Islam was transferred to Detective Branch (DB) Wari division.
Meanwhile, six police officers were transferred to Mirpur division at the posts.
Police sources said there is an allegation that the mishandling of explosives in Pallabi police station on the morning of July 29 had led to the blast, after police claimed to have arrested three goons from the Kalshi area.
However, family members of three arrested allege that they had been picked up a few days earlier.
DMP has formed a probe committee over the blast incident and the transfer orders were issued with the investigation ongoing.
However, DMP DC (Media) Walid Hossain said it was all part of routine transfers and the investigation was yet to be completed.
The explosion
Pallabi police station OC Nazrul Islam (transferred) told Dhaka Tribune on July 29 that a police team recovered the bomb, which was hidden inside a digital weighing machine commonly used in general stores, during an operation in Pallabi's Kalshi area early on Wednesday. Three local criminals were also arrested during the operation.
Also Read - 3 placed on 14-day remand over Pallabi police station blast
The bomb accidentally went off when the policemen tried to defuse it at the police station.
The injured are Inspector (Operation) Imran, Sub-Inspector (SI) Sajib, Provisional Sub Inspectors (PSI) Rumi and Ankush, and a civilian named Riaz.
All the injured were initially admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).
The incident took place against the backdrop of recent intelligence reports suggesting the members of New JMB, who follow Islamic State (IS) ideology, would try to carry out attacks in Bangladesh, including against police establishments, ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.
However, the authorities concerned have denied the involvement of militants in the incident and suspect that it was the work of local criminal groups.
Also Read -Pallabi PS blast: Family claims Shahidul was picked up two days ago
DMP Additional Commissioner Krishna Pada Roy said on July 29: “Recently, a group of criminals have been committing different crimes in the Mirpur region. A team led by the Mirpur DC was trying to nab them for several days.
''Acting on a tip-off, Pallabi police arrested three members of the group near Kalshi cemetery at around 2am, while the other members managed to flee. The trio had firearms, four bullets and a device that looked like a weighing machine in their possession''
The weighing machine seemed suspicious, which was why the police called the bomb disposal unit. A member of the bomb disposal unit came to the station and analysed the device. Later, he sought help from a member of the unit specialised in defusing bombs and asked him to come to the station with a few more tools.
