In Abhaynagar, Jessore, a cocktail bomb was thrown at the residence of Mohammad Ali, owner of Roman Jute Mill, in retaliation for his refusal to pay extortion money. The incident occurred in the Naoapara area of the upazila at around 2:00 a.m. on Friday, 20 February 2026. Although no one was injured, the explosion caused panic among residents and prompted immediate intervention by security forces. Members of the Abhaynagar Army Camp and local police visited the scene to investigate.
Mohammad Ali’s son, Rakibul Islam, revealed that a known criminal gang had been repeatedly demanding protection money from the family. “When we refused to comply, they launched this attack to intimidate us,” he said. Fortunately, no one was present in the house at the time of the blast, preventing any casualties.
Mohammad Ali’s nephew, Mohammad Sajib, described the scene: “I was awakened in the dead of night by a loud bang. When I stepped outside, smoke was rising from the house. It was terrifying.” As Ali was in Dhaka at the time, the house was empty. Security personnel and police later recovered evidence from the site, including bamboo sticks and red tape, commonly used in improvised explosive devices.
Officer-in-Charge (Investigation) of Abhaynagar Police Station, Zahidul Islam, said, “Following the ceremonial tribute at the Shaheed Minar on 21 February, we received reports of an explosion at 2 a.m. Our teams promptly arrived, secured the scene, and collected evidence related to the cocktail bomb. The matter is under investigation, and appropriate legal action will follow.”
Explosion Incident Details
| No. | Item | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Date & Time | 20 February 2026, 2:00 a.m. |
| 2 | Location | Naoapara, Abhaynagar, Jessore |
| 3 | Target | Mohammad Ali, Roman Jute Mill owner |
| 4 | Casualties | None reported |
| 5 | Evidence Recovered | Bamboo sticks, red tape, blast residue |
| 6 | Responding Authorities | Abhaynagar Army Camp, Abhaynagar Police |
| 7 | Suspected Motive | Retaliation for refusing extortion demands |
Local residents expressed deep concern over the growing threat of extortion-related violence in the region. They urged law enforcement to enhance security measures to prevent similar incidents. Preliminary investigations suggest that the explosive device was rudimentary, assembled with easily accessible materials, indicating that the perpetrators likely had prior experience in carrying out such attacks.
Authorities have launched an intensive probe to identify and apprehend those responsible. The community hopes that swift justice will deter future attacks and restore a sense of safety to the neighbourhood.