Petrol bombs thrown at Grameen Bank in Gazipur, signboard partially burnt

A petrol bomb attack was carried out late at night on a Grameen Bank branch in Gazipur’s Sreepur upazila. The incident took place around 2:00 am early on Sunday, at Bartoba Bazar in Maona Union.

Rehana Parvin, manager at the Maona branch of Grameen Bank, said their security guard was inside the bank at the time. At around 2:00 am, several people tried to force open the bank’s main gate. Suddenly, a loud explosion was heard. The security guard then saw 7-8 people running away from the scene.

Immediately afterwards, three more loud explosions were heard. The attackers detonated three petrol bombs, one of which landed inside the bank premises. The blast partially burned the signboard hung outside the bank. Since the incident, all the staff of the bank is left in a state of panic.

Several local residents said they rushed to the spot after hearing the sudden explosions. The surrounding area was filled with the smell of petrol. As the attack took place in the middle of the market, many people from nearby areas gathered after hearing the noise.

Abdur Razzak, the regional (area) manager of Grameen Bank, said, “There has been no damage inside the bank. However, part of the signboard hung outside has been burnt. We have informed the higher authorities. They have advised us to file a general diary with the police for now.”

Sreepur Police Station officer-in-charge (OC) Mohammad Abdul Barik told Prothom Alo, “Because of the police patrol, the attackers were unable to cause major damage. Police recovered bottles from the scene. The matter will be investigated and action taken accordingly.”