Md. Masud Khan, Munshiganj (South)

A powerful explosion occurred during the disposal of a nearly 200- kg mortar shell in the village of Aralia on the banks of the Meghna River in Gazaria, Munshiganj, on Tuesday night.

 The blast caused extensive damage to several homes and shops. During the operation, local villagers confined the members of the bomb disposal team. Later, police, army, and local administration intervened and rescued the team. Enraged villagers vandalized a police vehicle and confiscated a police walkie-talkie.

The mortar shell was discovered on Monday in Aralia village of Baluakandi Union while digging soil with an excavator. In response, a meeting has been called this afternoon in the UNO's office involving affected villagers.

A visit to the site revealed that shops, shutters, tin roofs, and glass windows were shattered. OC  of Gazaria Police Station, Anwar Alam Azad, stated that while attempting to defuse the mortar shell, the explosion scattered shrapnel across a 200-meter radius, damaging homes, shops, and livestock shelters.

Following the explosion, panic spread in the area, and the bomb disposal team was confined by locals, who were later rescued by police. Many houses lost roofs, and televisions and refrigerators were destroyed. Senior administrative officials, including the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), visited the site.

The bomb disposal team began work Tuesday afternoon and detonated the shell at 7:56 PM to neutralize it. The blast affected the houses of residents including Selim Hossain, Hares Mia, Abdur Rashid, Rafiz Mia, Renu Mistry, Farid Hossain, Abdul Hannan, Manik Mia, Abdul Jalil, Muktar Hossain, Abdul Gaffar, Selim Mia, and Abdul Barek.

Eyewitness tea shop owner Abdur Rashid Mia said the intensity of the explosion was so high that it destroyed his shop, which was 300 meters away. Tania Rahman, a resident of Baruakandi village located four kilometers from the site, said, "At 7:56 PM, we felt a violent tremor. We initially thought it was an earthquake but later learned that the explosion was from the disposal of the mortar shell in Aralia."

Journalists and police were attacked by angry villagers after the incident. Some journalists were even physically assaulted.

The mortar shell was initially found on Monday near a mosque in the agricultural land of one Hanif in Aralia village. Locals initially thought it was a boundary marker, but police later identified it as an unexploded mortar shell. The origin of the shell remains uncertain. It is suspected to be from World War II.

Gazaria Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md. Ashraful Alam said 20–25 families’ houses or shops were damaged. Fortunately, no deaths of animals were reported. A sense of terror spread throughout the area. A 1.5-year-old child reportedly became mute from the shock of the explosion. The mother said the child hasn’t cried or made a sound since the blast, only staring blankly.

Authorities said the bomb, likely dropped from an aircraft, couldn’t be accurately measured but is estimated to weigh between 150–200 kg.

Police Walkie-Talkie Missing During the chaos after the explosion, police and journalists were attacked by angry locals. SI Habibur Rahman of Gazaria Police Station lost his walkie-talkie. OC Anwar Alam Azad said efforts are underway to recover it and urged villagers to return the government device.

"C-4 Used for Detonation" The head of the 13-member bomb disposal team, Additional Superintendent of Police Mahmuduzzaman, said the shell was surrounded by 5-foot-high sandbag bunkers before it was detonated using a remote-controlled C-4 explosive. He stated that local freedom fighters believe three bombs were dropped in the area during the 1971 Liberation War — two of which exploded, and one remained unexploded until now. However, he also suspects it might date back to World War II.

Asked why the explosion caused so much damage, Mahmuduzzaman said the detonation followed proper procedures. When asked whether higher bunkers might have minimized the damage, he explained that the maximum possible height was used under the circumstances. Moving the shell was extremely risky and even a small shift could have triggered a major disaster.

Mahmuduzzaman, a bomb disposal expert with over 3.5 years of experience, said that given the risks, the shell was successfully neutralized without any casualties. He acknowledged the villagers' anger but added that the team worked based on expected damage assessments.

Meeting with affected villagers  in Munshiganj  : A meeting will be held this Wednesday afternoon at the Gazaria Upazila Parishad conference room with the affected residents of Aralia. The UNO will assess the extent of damage and determine future actions. UNO Md. Ashraful Alam said villagers have been reassured, and all those confined have now been safely rescued. The situation is now under control.