Time bomb found at Lalon Shah’s shrine in Kushtia, security tightened

Police recovered and defused a time bomb at the shrine of Baul legend Fakir Lalon Shah in Chheuriya, Kushtia, early Monday, triggering heightened security and restrictions on visitors.

Two litres of petrol stored in separate bottles were also recovered from the shrine premises.

Police said a suspicious white bag was spotted inside the shrine around 2 am on Monday.

Officers immediately secured the area and evacuated the sadhus and fakirs staying at the shrine as a precaution.

A police bomb disposal unit dispatched from Dhaka arrived on Monday morning. The team examined the bag, recovered the explosive device and petrol, and defused the bomb.

Following the discovery, authorities restricted access to the shrine for devotees, sadhus and visitors.

Additional police personnel were deployed at the shrine and surrounding areas to prevent any untoward incident.

Police are investigating who planted the device and whether the shrine was the intended target.

Kumarkhali's acting Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Navid Sarwar confirmed the recovery.

"A bomb was indeed recovered. Police can provide further details," he said.

Kumarkhali Police Station Officer-in-Charge Jamal Uddin said the explosive had been safely defused.

"We recovered a time bomb and petrol in two bottles from Lalon Shah's shrine. The bomb has been defused, and the situation is now normal," he said.

He added that police were investigating the incident.

The discovery has raised security concerns at the shrine, a major centre of Baul spiritual and cultural traditions that attracts devotees and visitors from across Bangladesh.