Blasts that Shook West Bengal Through the Years

Deaths in blasts at illegal cracker factories over the years have dealt a serious blow to West Bengal. The fear of such incidents and unrest looms during the elections. In Bajaj in South 24 Parganas, illegally stockpiled cracker material exploded leading to death of three of a family on May 22, 2023. Later, on 27 August 2023, Dattapukur Illegal Betting Factory Blast took place in which body parts were thrown 300 meters away.

Kolkata : It was around noon on May 16 last year, when the Khadikul village of Sahara Gram Panchayat of Block No. 1 of Egra in East Midnapore was shaken. Suddenly, the locals heard a loud noise.

At first they could not understand what has happened, but later, they saw human body parts scattered all around. From the top of the tree, the haystack, the impact of the explosion scattered the pieces of the body over a large area. This is not an isolated incident in West Bengal. Not only that, there is also a political equation behind this bloodbath in the heart of the country's cultural capital.

In that incident in Egra, the owner of the illegal fire crackers factory Krishnapada Bag alias Bhanu Bag himself was killed. Bag was politically influential and was a CPI leader during the Left Front regime.

Later he joined Trinamool Congress and was also a member of Sahara Gram Panchayat of Egra-1 Block from 2013 to 2018. Locals claimed that explosions in Bhanu factory are not new. There have been as many as four explosions earlier. At least five people died in those incidents but Bag survived by weilding his political influence.

Various circles, especially the opposition, claimed that Bengal had become a prison during the Trinamool regime. Although the ruling party denied all the allegations at that time, such incidents surged gradually. Dattapukur, Budge Budge, Bhupatinagar, English Bazar. The list is getting longer. In every case, the name of Trinamool Congress has been involved. The finding of Ammonium Nitrate or IEDs from most blast sites is quite suggestive.

Besides, incidents like unrest and bombings have also increased in different parts of the state. The opposition camp has always been concerned about the illegal cracker factories that mushroomed in different parts of the state and the stockpiling of bomb-making material behind it with the support of the ruling party and a section of the police-administration.

Only 13 days to go for the first phase of the Lok Sabha polls, the people of West Bengal have witnessed unrest in several parts of the state. Workers-supporters of various political parties have been killed mercilessly.

The opposition complained that the election is being held under the shadow of bullets and bombs but not ballots in West Bengal. According to the Election Commission, 55 people lost their lives in the 2023 panchayat elections in the state. Before that panchayat election in July, the incidents of Agra, English Bazar, Budge Budge took place. According to various intelligence agencies, the incidents are not isolated at all. Rather, the connection between one and the other is close.

According to the detectives, cheap Chinese raw material is being imported to make crackers. Also, inadequate technical know-how in using it is another reason behind successive explosions in Bengal.

Former ADG of State Police Nazrul Islam said, "Some leaders are using the local administration as a puppet. However, the police has its own network. The police know very well where illegal things are coming from the area."

Former NSG commando Dipanjan Chakraborty is also saying the same thing. He blamed the police and the state administration for the earlier explosions in Bengal including Dattapukur. In his words, "The police and administration are responsible for these terrible explosions in Egra-Naihati, then Dattapukur area. Due to the inefficiency of a part of the police-administration, the entire police system has completely collapsed. As long as the number of such terrible explosions in West Bengal continues to increase." The following is history of explosions in West Bengal at a glance:

1. On December 3, 2022, an explosion took place in the two-storied house of Rajkumar Manna of Naduavila village in East Midnapore. Three people died. After the incident, the police started an investigation, but later the NIA took over the investigation of the incident.

2. On May 23, 2023, a warehouse at English Bazar, Malda was stocked with carbide and alloys. Although the warehouse had a license to stock bet, it did not have a license to store carbide. An explosion took place from there killing 2 people.

3. Egra Illegal Cracker Factory Blast occurred on 16th May 2023 killing 9 people including main accused Bhanu Bagh. The factory was built illegally.

4. The same happened in Bajaj in South 24 Parganas illegally stockpiled cracker material exploded. On May 22, 2023, three members of the same family died due to injuries suffered in that incident.

5. On 27 August 2023, Dattapukur Illegal Betting Factory Blast took place. In this terrible explosion, body parts were thrown 300 meters away. The glass of the house 3 km away was also shattered.

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