Reports of two abandoned bomb-like objects at the Mirpur-10 and Farmgate metro rail stations in the capital on Saturday triggered panic and prompted a large-scale security response by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) and its Bomb Disposal Unit.

Authorities temporarily closed the Mirpur-10 metro rail station after a suspicious bag was discovered on the station's first floor. Police cordoned off the area around 12:00pm after being alerted by metro rail authorities.

In a message, the metro rail authorities said, "The Bomb Disposal Unit is working at the spot after the report of finding bomb-like objects under Mirpur-10 and Farmgate stations.

"Due to this, Mirpur-10 Metrorail station has been temporarily closed. However, all other stations and Metrorail services are operating as usual."

The station was officially closed at 1:10pm and remained out of service as of 1:25pm, while metro rail services at all other stations continued as usual.

According to a DMP press release, the Bomb Disposal Unit of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) Division immediately responded after receiving reports of the suspicious object at Mirpur-10.

An X-ray scan of the bag showed the image of a canister-like object inside. Following the standard operating procedure (SOP), bomb disposal personnel used a frangible disruptor to safely neutralise the suspected object.

A subsequent inspection found that the bag contained an empty tin of chewing tobacco (zarda) and betel leaf. No explosives or other hazardous materials were recovered.

"It will only be possible to confirm whether it is a bomb or something else after the bomb disposal unit examines it," Mostak Ahmed, deputy commissioner (Mirpur Division) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, had told the media while the operation was underway.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (Mirpur Division) Farzina Nasrin later confirmed that the object was harmless.

"After examination, it was found that the object was not an explosive. It was an empty zarda container," she said.

Normal movement at the station resumed after the area was declared safe.

Meanwhile, another abandoned sack found near a pillar adjacent to the Farmgate metro rail station also prompted the deployment of the Bomb Disposal Unit.

"We have informed the bomb disposal unit, and only after its inspection will we be able to say what was inside," DMP Deputy Commissioner (Tejgaon Division) Md Ibne Mizan had told The Daily Star newspaper before the examination.

The Bomb Disposal Unit later manually inspected the sack and confirmed that it contained no explosives or any other dangerous materials.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the safety and security of city residents and urged the public not to panic over unverified reports of suspicious objects.

The incidents came just over a week after a crude improvised explosive device, locally known as a "chhata bomb," was recovered beneath the Motijheel Metro Rail Station on July 24. The bomb was later defused by the DMP Bomb Disposal Unit, and one passer-by was injured in the incident.