Dhaka building cordoned off after 3 men barge in

The Bangladesh Police on Tuesday cordoned off a multi-storey building at Dhaka's upmarket Gulshan area, after reports that some youths forcibly entered a showroom here.

Additional Commissioner Md Shahabuddin Qureshi told reporters here that the police cordoned off the multi-storey building on information that three suspicious persons carrying bags entered the building forcibly, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We're not sure yet whether they are thieves or militants," he said.

It was not clear from the initial reports whether the young persons had entered the NCC Bank branch or some other business establishment by force.

An official told bdnews24.com from the spot that the situation was not yet clear.

An employee at mobile phone operator here said the suspects entered the NCC Bank branch by force around 9.00 a.m.

Gulshan police station Inspector Salahuddin said the youths entered the LG showroom and not the bank.

Hundreds of policemen stood guarding the building from where two bags have been recovered.

"Our bomb disposal experts will examine the bags," Salahuddin said, adding that "after which we can analyse the situation".

Armoured vehicles and fire service trucks were also rushed to the spot.

Security has been tightened in the diplomatic area after militants attacked a Spanish cafe in Dhaka on July 1 that left 22 people, mostly foreigners, dead.

--IANS

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