DUCSU member Rafia’s Mymensingh home comes under attack

A crude bomb explosion has occurred at the house of Umma Uswatun Rafia, a member of the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU), in Mymensingh.

The incident took place around 3:00am early Wednesday night in the Dholadia area of the city.

Upon receiving information, police visited the site today, Thursday, at noon. A case was filed at the police station in the afternoon against unidentified miscreants in connection with the incident.

Rafia’s family lives in the Dholadia area of the city. Her grandmother, mother, brother, and several tenants live in their four-story house.

Rafia’s mother, Jinnat Mahal, said that at 2:55am yesterday, miscreants detonated a crude bomb at the main gate of their house.

They and the surrounding residents heard the loud sound. Burn marks were seen in several places on the gate. She said they could not determine whether a separate fire had been set. After they informed the authorities, police visited the scene.

She added, “I have no enmity with anyone. Since my daughter is a DUCSU leader, this incident happened because of her activities. After this, we are feeling unsafe.”

Around 2:00pm today, Mymensingh superintendent of police Kazi Akhtar-ul-Alam and other police officials visited the scene.

Later in the afternoon, Rafia’s brother, Khandakar Julkarnain, filed a written complaint with Kotwali model police station, which was then recorded as a case.

In the case statement, the complainant wrote, “Between 2:50am and 3:00am last night, a loud explosion woke everyone in our house. Later in the morning, when we came downstairs, we saw that part of the house gate had turned black from burning, and some burnt ashes were found in front of the gate. The smell of kerosene and petrol was also detected near the gate. The unidentified accused, with prior planning, detonated a cocktail and set fire by sprinkling flammable substances like kerosene and petrol with the intent to cause serious harm to me and my family, and to spread panic in the area. The front part of the gate was burned, but the fire eventually went out on its own.”

Kotwali model police station officer-in-charge Md Shibirul Islam said that a case has been filed under the Explosives Act. Efforts are underway to identify and bring the perpetrators to book.