Panic briefly gripped the border town of Hili in Dinajpur late on Friday night after a crude bomb exploded directly in front of the local Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) office. Law enforcement personnel subsequently recovered a second, unexploded device from the scene, though no casualties were reported in the incident.
The explosion occurred at approximately 12:30 am on Saturday morning (late Friday night) in the Hili Bazar area of Hakimpur upazila, a commercially vital border settlement situated adjacent to the Indian frontier. According to local residents and eyewitness accounts, the quiet of the night was shattered by a sudden, loud blast just outside the party premises.
Residents and nearby shopkeepers rushed towards the site shortly after the detonation, only to discover a second crude explosive—locally referred to as a cocktail—lying intact on the ground near the office entrance. Concerned locals immediately alerted the authorities to prevent any further danger.
Upon receiving the information, a team from Hakimpur Police Station arrived promptly at the scene, cordoned off the immediate area, and safely seized the unexploded device for examination. Because the blast took place past midnight when the bustling market area was largely deserted, major injuries or property damage were narrowly avoided.
Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Laxmikanta of Hakimpur Police Station confirmed the recovery of the explosive. “Upon reaching the spot, we found an unexploded cocktail lying near the office and took it into police custody,” he told reporters. “At this stage, we have not yet identified those responsible for placing or detonating the devices.”
While political tensions in the region occasionally manifest through isolated acts of intimidation, local party leaders and residents have expressed concern over the security lapse in such a prominent commercial hub. Police have initiated an investigation to determine the motive behind the late-night attack and are currently working to trace the perpetrators. Patrols around Hili Bazar and key political installations in Hakimpur upazila have been quietly stepped up to maintain public order.
