Children find looted police grenades while playing in Bandarban

The recovered items are gas grenades typically used by police to disperse mobs, police say

Children playing near a stream in Bandarban have found two gas grenades believed to have been looted from police during unrest, authorities said.

The grenades were discovered on Saturday morning beside a stream in the Kashem Para of Bandarban municipality, according to Superintendent of Police Md Abdur Rahman.

Police said several children went to play near the stream in the morning when they noticed a polythene-wrapped object lying abandoned nearby.

Curious, they opened it and found two round objects, which they later handed over to police after locals identified them as explosives.

Two of the children, Tanim and Tanvi, known by single names, said they noticed the wrapped item while playing near a drain and opened it out of curiosity.

After realising the items could be bombs, they gave them to police on patrol near the bus station area.

SP Abdur Rahman said the recovered items were gas grenades typically used by police to disperse mobs.

“As Bandarban police stations were not attacked on 5th of August, it is clear these grenades do not belong to Bandarban police,” he said.

“We believe they were looted from police in another district. There is no risk of these affecting the upcoming election.”

Police have taken the grenades into custody for further examination.