Man arrested for mugging attempt at Dhaka jewellery shop with bomb-like object

Police last night arrested a man after he attempted to mug ornaments from a jewellery shop in Dhaka's Baitul Mukarram Mosque Market, brandishing a bomb-like object.

The arrestee was identified as Saiful Islam, an inhabitant of Naria Upazila in Shariatpur district.

"The arrestees wrapped an empty bottle with tape and carried it into a jewellery shop around 8:30pm," Abu Bakar Siddique, officer-in-charge of Paltan Police Station, said quoting the shop attendants. 

Police officials said the man went to the jewellery shop and put two bangles in his bag.

As the shop owner asked for money, Saiful showed the bomb-like object and tried to flee, threatening to explode it, police said.

Street vendors later caught him and handed him over to police.

Bomb disposal unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police later went there and discarded the object after making sure it was not a bomb, Atiqul Islam, Additional Deputy Commissioner (DB-Motijheel) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said.

Police recovered chili powder and a mobile phone from his possession.

"In primary interrogation, Saiful told police that he wanted to mug the ornaments and his aim was to throw the chili powder and flee," the ADC said.

"We are investigating whether he has connection with any militant group," the officer said.