16 grenades found in Gazipur similar to those used in 21 August attack: Police

The grenades discovered in Gazipur closely resemble the RJS grenades used in the infamous 21 August 2004 attack on an Awami League rally at Bangabandhu Avenue in Dhaka, said police.

16 RJS grenades were discovered buried in the soil of a plot in the residential area of Dakshin Chayabithi under Gazipur Metropolitan police station yesterday (8 August) morning, confirmed Assistant Commissioner of Police Mahmuduzzaman, also the team leader of the Bomb Disposal Unit of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP). 

Later that afternoon, the bomb disposal unit safely detonated the grenades.

In a briefing following the deactivation of the grenades yesterday, Mahmuduzzaman said, "You know that the RJS grenade was used during the 21 August grenade attack in our country. Hence, the matter needs thorough scrutiny. We will conduct forensic examinations and send them to the Department of Explosives for investigation."

According to locals, the grenades were found just two hundred metres south of a three-storey house named "Khowab Bhaban," owned by Ghiyas Uddin Al Mamun, a business partner of Tarique Rahman, the son of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and the BNP Acting Chairman. 

Tarique Rahman, who has been sentenced to life in prison for his involvement in the 21 August grenade attack, allegedly frequented this location.

Assistant Police Commissioner Mahmuduzzaman said, "We received a call this morning [8 July] regarding explosives found during soil excavation in Gazipur's South Chayabithi. Our team promptly arrived at the scene and discovered numerous powerful RJS grenades inside an earthen pitcher."

"The site was extremely hazardous. We used our ROV robot (Remotely Operated Vehicle) to inspect each grenade, ensuring the pins were intact, as a dislodged pin would render the grenade highly dangerous," he explained.

"We successfully separated all the grenades. Later, two of our team members, wearing bomb suits, approached and safely disposed of each grenade," the official added.

Grenade-like objects found while digging in Gazipur

Mahmuduzzaman described the grenades as "very strong anti-personnel fragmentation type".

When questioned about the origin and age of the grenades, he said, "There are no manufacturing marks on the grenades, making it impossible to determine their country of origin. The grenades are very old, but pinpointing their exact age requires extensive testing. The Gazipur Metropolitan Police and other agencies will investigate further. Without an investigation, we cannot specify their age or identify who placed them there."

Regarding their condition, he said, "Every grenade was live and extremely dangerous. They were wrapped in polythene inside a pot. Separating them was highly risky due to their long-standing condition, yet we managed to dispose of them successfully."

Addressing the longevity of the grenades, he added, "They remain active until they are detonated or disposed of. They could have exploded any time."

Abul Kashem, a resident of Kapasia upazila, purchased the 3.5-katha land in the city's South Chhayabeethi area. He recently began the construction work of a six-storey building on the plot. 

On Monday (8 July) morning, when workers started digging the soil, they uncovered a clay pot approximately 3-4 feet into the ground around 9am. Upon striking the pot with a shovel, it broke and revealed some grenade-like objects inside of it.

The incident was reported to the police, who arrived and initially believed the grenades to be abandoned. However, the area was evacuated for safety. 

Abul Kashem said, "The workers informed me about the incident around 9:30am. I immediately called 999 and went to the Gazipur Sadar police station to report the incident."