An explosion tore through a political rally on the outskirts of Dhaka on Monday night, leaving at least three people injured and sparking chaos among the crowd, according to Bangladesh's newly formed National Citizen Party (NCP), which organised the event.
The blast reportedly struck the Savar Thana Stand Eidgah field in Savar shortly before 10 p.m. local time, just as a party leader was addressing supporters on stage, the NCP said.
The timing was symbolic: the campaign kicked off on the second anniversary of the student-led protest movement that eventually forced Sheikh Hasina from office.
Footage that spread rapidly across social media captured the moment a bright flash and plume of smoke erupted within the packed gathering, cutting off the speech and sending attendees fleeing in different directions.
News agency ANI shared visuals on X, describing it as a reported bomb explosion at the NCP gathering that left three people hurt.
The clip, credited to the party itself, showed a disorienting scene of flashing lights, thick smoke and a tightly packed crowd, with several onlookers filming on their phones even as others pushed to get away from the site.
#WATCH | Dhaka, Bangladesh: A reported bomb explosion occurred in Savar, near Dhaka, during a rally organised by the newly formed National Citizen Party (NCP), injuring at least three people.
— ANI (@ANI) July 6, 2026
The march marks the second anniversary of the student protests against former… pic.twitter.com/XbrsqDErE9
The NCP characterised the blast as a targeted attack rather than an accident.
In a statement issued shortly after midnight, the party reportedly said terrorists had planted explosives at the venue where its rally was concluding, and that the detonation happened while supporters were still gathered on the grounds.
Details about the extent of the injuries have not been made public, and no one has yet been arrested or named as a suspect.
The gathering had been called to launch the NCP's "July March," a month-long nationwide campaign built around demands for a referendum, job creation, relief from Bangladesh's ongoing power crisis and tighter control of the country's borders, according to the party.
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The NCP itself grew out of that movement, led largely by student organisers who were at the forefront of the unrest that toppled Hasina's government.
She fled to India on August 5, 2024, amid what is now widely remembered in Bangladesh as the "July Revolution," and has remained there since. India has said it is examining an extradition request from Dhaka through the appropriate legal process, though no decision has been announced.
Bangladeshi authorities have yet to determine what caused Monday's explosion, and the matter remains under investigation.
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