Easy availability of raw materials used in the agricultural and industrial sectors, as also the cottage industry, and the absence of government monitoring have led to the alarming increase in commercial manufacturing of bombs. These bombs are freely used during political turmoil. A senior officer of the police’s Detective Branch, not wanting to be named, told The Independent: “During last week’s 60-hour hartal enforced by the BNP-led 18-party alliance, miscreants exploded more than 1,000 bombs, locally known as cocktails, in the capital alone.”
“Many political parties rely on commercially manufactured bombs and hired hands for attacks, while only a few make their own explosives. Most of the bombs exploded at some key points, including court premises, residences of ministers and leaders of ruling and Opposition political parties,” he added.
Rashid Uddin, (not his real name) a bomb maker who stays at a slum in the Moghbazar area, told The Independent: “Raw materials for making bombs, like sulphur, phosphorus, mensal, potash, are available at most of the chemical shops. The price used to be Tk. 70 per tola, but since last week they are being sold for Tk. 120 to 160.” “Last week, I received Tk. 3,000 from one of my known local political leaders for making four bombs and carrying out explosion of those in the Malibagh, Moghbazar, Mouchak areas during the 60-hour strike. As the demand is high, we are now selling a small bomb for Tk. 400 to 600, a medium one Tk. 800 to 1,200, while a large one made with iron pipe Tk. 1,200 to 2,200,” Rashid added. Additional deputy commissioner Sanwar Hossain, chief of the Bomb Disposal Unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch, said: “Most of the political parties have their own bomb squads, besides at least 70 groups make bombs at different places in and around Dhaka.” “Some political activists, especially those belonging to the Jammat-Shibir, have rented houses or mess at Old Dhaka, Keraniganj, Amin Bazar, Tongi, Narayanganj and others parts of the city. They use these places to make bombs,” Hossain said, adding: “We launched a massive manhunt after last week’s explosion and arrested several gangs of bombs makers, including some activists of political parties.”
“Bomb making materials are cheap and easily available as these are used by match factories, fertiliser units, agricultural industries and cottage industries across the country,” Hossain continued.
“From confessions of arrested bomb makers, we came to know that a section of dishonest traders are importing the materials from abroad and secretly selling them to bomb makers, taking advantage of the lack of monitoring,” the Bomb Disposal Unit chief said.
“We have formed a monitoring cell to check the availability of bomb making materials. We have also written to the ministry of industry and the ministry of home affairs seeking a list of chemical importers.”
Detective Branch sources said that during their drive last week 250 live “cocktails” and materials for making 400 bombs were seized. On October 9, a massive explosion of a few hundred bombs inside a flat rocked a six-storied building in the Fakirerpool area of the city. The police seized 1.5 kg of gunpowder and plenty of pebbles and bits of metals apparently meant to be used as shrapnel. They also found several hundred empty cans stored for making bombs. It was obvious that the flat was being used to make bombs.
The police believe that similar factories are still operating in Dhaka and law enforcers are looking for them. Among the people arrested during the hartal, the police found a group that carried out bomb attacks for money. They were mostly teenagers, street urchins, drug addicts and thugs. During primary interrogation, they admitted to having carried out bomb attacks for as little as Tk. 200.
-With The Independent input
