Tension gripped a residential neighbourhood in Savar on Wednesday afternoon as security experts successfully carried out a controlled detonation of a powerful pressure cooker bomb discovered in an open field. The loud blast echoed across the surrounding area, drawing crowds and heightening local anxieties following a series of recent security scares across the region.
The sequence of events began late Tuesday night in the Sadapur Goper Bari Lalthek Ghora Mosque field under the jurisdiction of the Bhabanipur police camp. Local residents noticed a suspicious blue plastic drum left unattended in the middle of the field by three unidentified individuals who hurriedly fled the scene under the cover of darkness. Driven by curiosity on Wednesday morning, locals inspected the container and discovered several items inside, including old clothing, a copy of the Holy Quran, and a heavy pressure cooker. Recognising the potential danger, they pulled the items out onto the open ground and immediately notified local law enforcement.
Officers from the Bhabanipur police camp rushed to the location, cordoning off the perimeter to safeguard civilians before alerting the specialized bomb disposal unit in Dhaka. By afternoon, the technical experts arrived at the site, clearing onlookers to a secure distance. At approximately 3:30 pm, the specialist team successfully executed a controlled detonation, neutralizing the explosive device without causing any injuries or property damage.
Investigators from the Savar Model Police Station have launched a comprehensive inquiry to identify the perpetrators and determine the motives behind abandoning the explosive device in a public field. Although the immediate threat was successfully averted, deep unease remains among residents.
This incident follows a string of similar security operations in recent days. Late Tuesday night in the Shyampur area of Hemayetpur, police neutralised five active pipe bombs inside the ground floor of a three-storey residential building. During that operation, the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit seized substantial quantities of bomb-making chemicals, gunpowder, and suspicious materials, wrapping up their search by 1:30 am.
Concurrently, a separate minor explosion occurred on Wednesday morning near the main entrance of the Barishal District and Sessions Judge Court. Law enforcement officials preliminarily described that device as a low-intensity firecracker or local firework, known locally as a potka. Following that blast, elite units including the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) cordoned off the court premises to gather forensic evidence, prompting heightened security alerts nationwide.
