An explosion struck the Bangladeshi capital Monday near the hotel where Indian President Pranab Mukherjee has been staying, police said. "A blast occurred at Sonargaon crossing in the noontime," Assistant Commissioner Shibly Noman said, adding that a search was under way for suspects amid increased security deployment. No injuries were reported. The Indian president has been staying at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon hotel since arriving in Dhaka Sunday for a three-day official visit.
An Indian diplomat dismissed the possibility of a targeted attack. Mukherjee was in his suite at the hotel when the explosion took place nearly half a kilometre away, Deputy High Commissioner of the Indian Embassy in Dhaka Sandeep Chakravarty told broadcaster NDTV.