The damaged police box in port city’s Sholoshahar gate-2 area yesterday afternoon. Photo: Star

The blast inside a traffic police box which injured three persons including two cops in Chattogram's Sholoshahar Gate-2 area on Friday night resembles multiple attacks that happened in Dhaka last year.

After analysing the evidence collected from the spot, officials of Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) noted that a similar Improvised Explosive Device (IED) went off inside the police box.

However, CMP officials did not confirm whether this was a militant attack.

Additional Commissioner (administration and finance) Amena Begum of CMP said, "We don't know whether it was a militant attack or not… we will be able to tell [after] investigating the damage."

"It was a locally made IED that exploded inside the traffic police box and we are looking into who made it," said Amena Begum while addressing media at her office in CMP headquarters.

"Members of Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU) from Dhaka visited the spot and they have collected all the evidence. They have been trying to detect clues," she added.

Police official Amena Begum also said "Following the blast, CMP issued a high alert to all units. Security in police stations, outposts and other important government establishments have been beefed up."

"We suspect there might be more attacks like this and we asked police personnel to stay alert," the official added.

Seeking anonymity, a bomb expert of CMP told The Daily Star, "The making of these IEDs matches that of the ones found in Dhaka last year. This IED was made with a rocket flare, a GI pipe, ball bearing, battery and circuit."

"We are also trying to determine whether the bomb was timer-based or remote-controlled," added the official.

Amena Begum further said, "After the explosion, we seized a GI pipe and ball bearings from the spot."

Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) (Operation) Polash Kanti Nath of Counter Terrorism (CT) unit of CMP told this newspaper, "The blast is similar to the attack on policemen in several spots of the capital last year."

He was referring to multiple attacks in Dhaka which occurred between April-September last year. Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) officials and DMP chief had told the media that "Neo JMB" men had carried out the attacks.

ADC Polash said they collected footage from two CCTV cameras after visiting the area.

ATU COLLECTS EVIDENCE

Earlier in the morning, an 11-member team led by an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) arrived in Chattogram from Dhaka. They collected evidence from the spot and held a meeting with CT officials.

ASP Shaon Kumar Sarkar led the ATU team, said CMP sources.

 "Around the Traffic Police Box, there is no CCTV footage. We collected footage from the opposite side of the road," he added.

While visiting the spot around 12pm, police cordoned off the damaged police box. A team of armed police has been deployed near the box.

A case was filed under explosives act with Traffic Inspector (north division) Anil as plaintiff, confirmed Panchlaish police station's Officer-in-Charge Abul Kashem Bhuiyan.