‘Minor explosion’ outside Pranab’s Dhaka hotel

Dhaka: A crude cocktail bomb Monday exploded near the hotel where Indian President Pranab Mukherjee is staying. No one was injured.

Describing it as a “minor explosion”, Indian officials here said this was a common occurrence during hartals or strikes.

They said a small cocktail bomb was flung by two motorcycle borne men outside the Hotel Pan Pacific Sonargaon where Mukherjee is staying. Mukherjee was in the hotel at the time. He had returned for lunch after the convocation ceremony at Dhaka University.

In a statement, press secretary to the president Venu Rajamony said “life in and around the hotel in Dhaka where the president is staying is completely normal”.

None of the delegation members heard any explosion nor knew of any such incident.

The Bangladesh authorities informed the Indian delegation of the crude cocktail bomb that was found and a probe was on, the statement said.

The Jamaat-e-Islami is observing a two day strike in Bangladesh to protest the death sentence on their leader for war crimes. Clashes between Jamaat members and police have led to over 70 deaths in the past few days.

-IANS

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