Highlights:

• IED found inside abandoned umbrella in Motijheel
• Bomb Disposal Unit safely neutralises suspicious device
• Passer-by suffers serious eye injury during operation
• DMP confirms defused object was an improvised explosive device

An improvised explosive device (IED) concealed inside an abandoned umbrella beneath the Motijheel Metro Rail Station was safely neutralised by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Bomb Disposal Unit this evening (24 July), although a passer-by sustained a serious eye injury during the operation.

Confirming the incident, Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) said in a notification that two suspicious objects - an umbrella and a bucket - were found on the ground floor of Motijheel Metro Rail Station near the diesel generator room at around 6:00pm.

The objects raised alarm after an on-duty Ansar member noticed a blinking light inside the umbrella.

The Ansar member immediately informed the station controller and the MRT Police. Personnel from Motijheel Police Station, MRT Police and Ansar then rushed to the scene and established a security perimeter.

A Bomb Disposal Team from the Detective Branch (DB) of the DMP later inspected the objects, identified them as explosive devices and neutralised them through controlled explosions.

DMTCL Managing Director Mohammad Abdur Rouf said the situation had returned to normal and security measures at the station had been strengthened.

"Despite the incident, Metro Rail operations were not disrupted and continued to run smoothly," he said.

Meanwhile, Motijheel Police Station Officer-in-Charge Kamaruzzaman Talukder said the area had been cordoned off before the Bomb Disposal Unit carried out the operation at around 7:00pm.

"The area was cordoned off before the DMP Bomb Disposal Unit neutralised the suspicious object at around 7pm," he said.

The DMP later confirmed that the defused bomb-like object was an improvised explosive device (IED).

However, a passer-by, Miraj Ahmed, 33, suffered a serious injury to his left eye during the disposal operation.

Inspector Faruk Hossain, in-charge of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) Police Outpost, said Miraj was brought to the hospital at around 9:00pm with a severe eye injury before being referred to the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital for specialised treatment.

According to Miraj's friend, Shamsul Haque, the injured man works at the Ministry of Education.

Shamsul said Miraj and two friends were returning from shopping in Tikatuli when the incident occurred.

"As we got off the rickshaw beneath the Motijheel Metro Rail Station, we heard a sudden loud explosion. Miraj was immediately struck in the left eye by a flying object or splinter," he said.

"We are not certain if it was a cocktail (crude bomb) or something else, but we saw a large crowd and police presence at the scene," he added.

Miraj is a resident of Arambagh in Motijheel and hails from Bera Dakuri village in Gopalpur upazila of Tangail district.

Police have not yet disclosed the origin of the IED or whether any suspects have been identified.