14 pipe bombs recovered; man with suspected JMB links held

Police recovered nine pipe bombs and a large quantity of bomb-making materials from a three-storey building in Savar’s Shyampur last night.

Law enforcers conducted the operation based on the information from a man, who was earlier yesterday arrested on suspicion of having links to Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), a banned militant outfit, in the Hemayetpur area, said Saiful Alam, officer-in-charge of Savar Model Police Station.

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The Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police cordoned off the building around 6:30pm. Members of the Bomb Disposal Unit later carried out the sweep.

Around midnight, Saiful told The Daily Star over phone that five powerful pipe bombs, made using a special technique, were recovered from a bag carried by the arrestee.

Police also recovered several JMB leaflets from the house, the OC added.

Saiful refused to disclose the name of the arrestee.

Daughter of the house owner said a ground-floor room was rented out on August 2. “They said a couple would live there and would enrol their children at a nearby school. We rented out the place thinking they were a family,” she said.

OC Saiful said the operation was continuing and further drives were being conducted at different spots based on information provided by the arrestee.

Alongside CTTC members, personnel from the local police station and officials of the National Security Intelligence were present at the scene, said police.

As of filing of the report around 1:00am, the Bomb Disposal Unit disposed of five pipe bombs at the spot.