A loud explosion was reported on Monday morning near an under-construction building adjacent to controversial Islamist preacher Mufti Jasim Uddin Rahmani’s madrasa in the Baraikhali area under Hazaribagh in the capital.
Police, however, said the sound was caused by firecrackers.
The incident occurred at the entrance of lane 14 at around 11:30am. Mufti Rahmani was not injured in the incident.
Describing the incident, Mufti Jasim Uddin Rahmani said construction work was underway at a foundation-owned building in the Baraikhali area of Hazaribagh, which he frequently visits as his relatives live nearby.
“When I entered the under-construction building at around 11:30am, a loud explosion occurred about five to seven feet away,” he said.
Asked whether it could have been a cocktail or another explosive device, he said he was unsure of the nature of the object and added that the police would be able to determine it.
Police sources said Mufti Rahmani called the national emergency service 999 at 11:38am to report the explosion. Following the call, police rushed to the spot and launched an investigation.
Dhanmondi Zone Assistant Commissioner of Police (AC) Shah Mustafa Tarikuzzaman told Jago News that officers visited the scene immediately after receiving the information. “Children were bursting firecrackers. We also spoke to the children present there,” he said.
He added that members of the Bomb Disposal Unit also visited the spot as part of the precautionary measures.