Court grants police two days to interrogate two suspects for NCP rally ‘blast’

Police investigate claims that a banned group may have orchestrated the bomb attack targeting NCP leaders

A Dhaka court has granted police two days to question two suspects arrested in connection with a crude bomb explosion at an National Citizen Party (NCP) rally in Savar.

Dhaka Senior Judicial Magistrate Tajul Islam Sohag issued the order on Tuesday.

Sub-Inspector Md Bahaj Uddin of the prosecution said the investigating officer, SI Shakhawat Imtiaz of Savar Model Police Station, had sought a seven-day remand for the suspects, Nurul Islam and Md Sajib.

Defence lawyer MM Ashraf Ali Ayon opposed the plea and sought bail.

The explosion occurred at around 9:45pm on Monday during an NCP rally held after the party's July March event at Tarapur Eidgah Ground in Savar, leaving three people injured.

NCP Convenor Nahid Islam, Member Secretary MP Akhter Hossen and Chief Coordinator (North) Sarjis Alam were on stage when the blast occurred.

NCP Dhaka North District Member Secretary Salamat Ullah Rony filed the case the same night on behalf of the party.

The complaint alleges that unidentified suspects carried out the explosion "with the intention of killing NCP members of the public" attending the rally.

It also raises suspicions of the organised involvement of a "banned group" in the attack.