Police in Manikganj have filed two separate cases implicating 51 named activists and between 80 and 95 unidentified individuals over a series of crude bomb explosions, arson, and highway blockades linked to a programme called by the banned Chhatra League, the student affiliate of the Awami League whose activities remain prohibited. During an overnight operation on Wednesday, 11 November, law enforcement officers apprehended one of the named suspects.
The detainee has been identified as Manik Fakir, 40, a resident of Barta village and a Ward-9 committee member of the Atigram Union Awami League under Manikganj Sadar upazila.
According to police records and the first information reports (FIRs), the two cases were registered at Manikganj Sadar Police Station under distinct statutory frameworks: the Anti-Terrorism Act and the Special Powers Act. The initial case, logged as Case No. 17 on 10 November, names 17 individuals alongside 50 to 60 unnamed accomplices. Riyad Morshed, a former member of the Manikganj District Jubo Dal, filed the formal complaint.
This first dossier targets five district and municipal Chhatra League leaders, three district and upazila Jubo League figures, and nine other individuals affiliated with the Awami League and its associate bodies. Charges have been brought under Sections 8, 9, 10, 12, and 13 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009, coupled with Section 3(a) of the Explosive Substances Act. The complaint specifies that the alleged offences took place at approximately 6:45 pm on 9 November on the road bordering the north-eastern side of the Bijoy Mela ground in South Seota, Manikganj town, involving crude bomb detonations and other violent acts.
A second case, registered as Case No. 18 on 11 November under the Special Powers Act, names 34 suspects and cites an additional 30 to 35 unidentified perpetrators. Sub-Inspector Md Ershad Ali of Manikganj Sadar Police Station acted as the complainant. This charge sheet includes 25 district and upazila Chhatra League activists, four Awami League members, two Jubo League activists, one Swechchhasebak League member, one Sramik League activist, and one individual of unspecified affiliation.
Brought under Sections 15(3) and 25-D of the Special Powers Act, 1974, alongside Section 3(a) of the Explosive Substances Act, the second FIR details an incident at 12:15 am on 10 November in an open area south of the Baitul Aman Jame Mosque at the Manikganj bus stand, alleging sabotage, the use of explosives, and the disruption of public movement.
Both legal actions stem from coordinated disturbances across the district on 9 and 10 November. Following the evening of 9 November, crude bombs were detonated in rapid succession near sensitive administrative and residential compounds, including the Manikganj Deputy Commissioner’s office, the main bus terminal, the Superintendent of Police’s residence, and the Paturia police outpost. The blasts triggered widespread alarm among local residents and commuters. Simultaneously, protesters set tyres ablaze across several thoroughfares in Saturia, Shibalaya, and Singair upazilas, severely disrupting vehicular traffic.
The most alarming incident unfolded at the Manikganj bus stand around 12:30 am, when assailants doused a parked minibus in petrol and set it alight in front of Nabin Cinema Hall. Nearly half of the vehicle was gutted by the flames, raising serious concerns over transport security and public safety in the bustling terminal area.
Investigators allege in the case dossiers that the accused gathered along the highways with the intent to destabilise and oust the incumbent government, obstructing traffic, torching public transport, and detonating explosives to sow panic. As standard legal principles dictate, however, the veracity of these allegations remains subject to formal investigation, and those named cannot be deemed guilty until proven so in a court of law.
Confirming the arrest, Md Salauddin, Additional Superintendent of Police for Manikganj Sadar Circle, stated that Manik Fakir will be produced before the court once preliminary legal formalities are concluded. The filing of charges against over a hundred named and unnamed individuals has sparked considerable discussion across the district regarding the prevailing political climate and law-and-order situation. Police confirmed that alongside prosecuting the detainee, identifying and apprehending the remaining suspects remains a core priority of the ongoing investigation.
