Pressure cooker bomb found in abandoned bag outside Ashulia grocery shop

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Police recovered a pressure cooker bomb from an abandoned bag left on a bench outside a grocery shop in Ashulia before it was safely detonated by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Bomb Disposal Unit on Friday.

The device was neutralized through a controlled explosion at an open field near United Garments in Ashulia Union.

Ashulia Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Tarikul Islam said local residents noticed the unattended bag on a bench outside a grocery shop owned by Hriday Chakma in the Khejur Bagan area on Thursday evening. After the bag remained there for a long time, they became suspicious.

When the bag was opened, a bomb-like object resembling a pressure cooker was found inside, prompting residents to inform police at around 9:00 pm.

Police arrived at the scene, cordoned off the area and initially confirmed that the object could be an explosive. The DMP Bomb Disposal Unit was later called in, and its members recovered the device after taking necessary security measures.

The bomb was later taken to a nearby open area, where it was destroyed in a controlled explosion.

According to the OC, initial information suggests that a man aged between 30 and 36 visited the shop on Thursday evening and asked to buy a cold drink. After handing the shopkeeper a Tk500 note, he left when told there was no change, leaving the locked bag behind.

Police are trying to identify the individual who left the bag and are collecting and reviewing CCTV footage from the surrounding area as part of the investigation.