Bangladesh: Man Killed in Dhaka After Explosive Thrown from Flyover Amid Political Tensions

A man was killed on Wednesday evening in Dhaka after a crude explosive device was reportedly thrown from a flyover in the Mogbazar area, police said. The incident occurred beneath the flyover near the Moghbazar Freedom Fighters' Memorial, a busy public spot.

Witnesses reported that the explosive fell from above the flyover, critically injuring the victim, identified by relatives as Siam. He succumbed to his injuries shortly after the blast. “We gather that someone threw the cocktail bomb from the flyover, which struck the victim’s head and exploded. We are investigating who carried out this act,” said a police official.

Siam, a factory worker, was in the area at the time. Authorities cordoned off the scene as panic spread locally, and the perpetrators fled immediately. Masud Alam, Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Ramna Division, said preliminary findings confirm the device was thrown from the flyover, though the motive remains unclear. No group has claimed responsibility.

The killing comes at a particularly sensitive time for Bangladesh, just a day before the return of Tarique Rahman, acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and heir to the Zia political family, who is arriving in Dhaka on Thursday after nearly 17 years in exile. Authorities have heightened security measures across the capital, implementing a “double-layer” security arrangement combining state forces and party-level precautions to manage crowds and prevent unrest.

The incident also occurred amid worsening diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and India. In recent days, both countries have summoned each other’s envoys and lodged protests over incidents of violence, including the killing of Bangladeshi student leader Sharif Osman Hadi and attacks near the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi. Demonstrations in both countries have further strained ties, with security measures tightened at diplomatic missions.

Authorities in Dhaka continue to investigate the explosion and are reviewing footage circulating on social media to identify those responsible, while political tensions remain high ahead of Rahman’s return.

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