An employee has been injured after masked assailants detonated two crude bombs outside an AJR Parcel & Courier Service branch in Dhaka’s Pallabi area on Tuesday night. The attack marks the latest in a relentless wave of violent assaults targeting the courier firm’s infrastructure, vehicles, and personnel across the capital.
The incident occurred at approximately 8:30 pm near Chalantika More in Mirpur-11. According to Afsar Uddin Sujon, Senior Manager (Audit) at AJR Courier Service, a masked individual approached the branch premises between 8:35 pm and 8:40 pm, detonated two crude bombs, and fled the scene immediately. The blast wounded 21-year-old employee Md. Ramzan, who was subsequently rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment.
Officers from Pallabi Police Station arrived at the scene shortly after the explosion to collect evidence and examine CCTV footage. Jalal Uddin, Officer-in-Charge of Pallabi Police Station, noted that crude bombs had previously been targeted at AJR Courier’s main branch, suggesting the latest blast could be connected to the broader campaign of intimidation.
The firm has suffered systematic violence over recent weeks. On 20 October, armed miscreants raided the courier company’s Hazaribagh office near Sikder Medical College, vandalising property and looting laptops and parcelled goods valued at 3.1 million BDT. The attackers forcibly removed CCTV cameras and recording equipment to conceal their identity. Hazaribagh police have arrested eleven suspects in connection with the raid.
Company officials reported that the attackers claimed allegiance to criminal figure Sanjidul Islam Imon, demanding that land lease payments be directed to him. Following the initial police report, the primary plaintiff received telephoned death threats warning him that his life was in immediate danger.
The intimidation campaign escalated on 25 October when arsonists attempted to set fire to the Hazaribagh warehouse using petrol. On the same day, a staff member was mugged and physically assaulted whilst returning home. Less than a week later, on the night of 31 October, assailants executed coordinated strikes on three company delivery vehicles at the Mayor Hanif Flyover toll plaza, Matsya Bhaban intersection, and Rayerbagh. One vehicle was torched in Rayerbagh, whilst a driver suffered severe head injuries during the Matsya Bhaban ambush.
