Law enforcement agencies have reported the recovery of two grenade-like objects from Hazrat Shah Makhdum Airport in Rajshahi.
The objects were recovered around 11 a.m. on Tuesday (November 10) from in front of the airport’s main gate. For security reasons, the main gate was closed afterward. An alternative route through the mosque gate was kept open for passengers to enter and exit.
Later, members of the bomb disposal unit defused the two objects in an empty field in the Pakuria area of Paba Upazila.
According to police sources, around 11 a.m. on Tuesday, a pedestrian noticed the two suspicious objects inside a flower plant on the left side of the airport’s main gate. He informed Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Palash, who was in charge of the Romeo-81 patrol vehicle from the Baya Police Outpost of Airport Police Station. ASI Palash then notified the officer-in-charge of Airport Police Station. Upon receiving the information, police and airport authorities quickly reached the scene and strengthened security measures.
The main gate was closed, and the mosque gate was opened as an alternative for passenger movement. The incident caused panic among passengers at the airport. Members of the Armed Police Battalion (APBN) responsible for security at the main gate also remained on high alert. Police said three armed APBN members were on duty at all times. However, it was not immediately known who had left the two objects there despite their presence.
At the time of the incident, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku was in the airport’s VIP lounge. He arrived in Rajshahi at 10:50 a.m. on a flight. He was stopping over in Rajshahi while traveling from Dhaka to Bogura. After news of the suspicious objects spread, his security was also taken into consideration. Police later briefed him on the situation. He was then escorted out through the rear gate instead of the main gate and proceeded by road toward Bogura.
Additional Deputy Commissioner (Media) of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police, Gazir Rahman, said that upon receiving information about two grenade-like objects lying beside the airport’s main gate, police rushed to the scene. Necessary measures were taken in coordination with airport authorities and security personnel on duty. For the safety of passengers and the public, the main gate was temporarily closed and movement was arranged through an alternative route. Later, with the help of bomb disposal unit members, the two objects were defused in an empty field in the Pakuria area of Paba Upazila.
He further stated that the true identity of the two objects can be confirmed after examination. Authorities are investigating who placed them beside the airport and for what purpose.