India remembers the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts but the Islamic terror attack in Kolkata remains forgotten: Read how Rashid Khan and his aides killed 69 people

In March 1993, India went through one of the most frightening periods in its modern history. The country was still trying to understand the massive serial bomb blasts in Mumbai when another deadly explosion shook Kolkata just days later. While the Mumbai attacks are widely remembered, the blast that took place in Kolkata’s Bowbazar area around the same time remains far less talked about. The terror attack occurred in the early hours of 16th March, 1993, when a deadly explosion destroyed two residential buildings in the crowded Bowbazar area of Kolkata. The Mumbai blasts that shook the nation On 12th March, 1993, a series of coordinated bomb explosions ripped through Mumbai, then called Bombay. Multiple blasts targeted busy commercial and public locations across the city. The attacks killed more than 250 people and injured over 1,300 others, leaving the country shocked. From the investigations carried out, it was concluded that the operation involved a large number of Islamists and was carefully planned. Police believed that as many as 50 terrorists may have taken part in the bombings. Explosives were planted at several sites, including busy markets and office complexes. Authorities later traced possible links between the attacks and members of Mumbai’s powerful underworld networks. Investigators also found the role of gangster Dawood Ibrahim, who was believed to be operating from Dubai at the time. The police also discovered unexploded devices during their search operations. Two motor scooters filled with plastic explosives were found and safely defused in a crowded diamond merchants’ market, preventing further casualties. The scale and coordination of the attacks created panic across the country, and intelligence agencies warned that more attacks could take place. Sharad Pawar, who was the Maharashtra Chief Minister at that time, infamously invented a 13th bomb blast to protect ‘secularism’ (falsely claimed that an explosion took place in a ‘Muslim area’ to divert focus from the Islamists involved in the terror attack). A deadly terror attack in Kolkata Just a few days after the Mumbai blasts, there was yet another explosion in India, and this time it was in Kolkata. On 16th March, 1993, a powerful explosion took place in the Bowbazar area in the centre of the city. The explosion was so powerful that it destroyed two buildings in the region, causing fires in several buildings in the area. People were sleeping in their homes when the blast took place. Within seconds, buildings collapsed, and people were trapped under the debris. Soon, fires broke out in the buildings. Screengrab of the news report by The New York Times Police said at least 45 people were killed in the initial hours after the explosion. The death toll later rose to 69 as rescue teams recovered more bodies from the rubble. The blast was strong enough to be heard nearly three miles away. Fires and desperate rescue operations Bowbazar is one of the most crowded areas of Kolkata. It is both a residential and commercial area surrounded by the city’s major gold and furniture markets. Hundreds of families live in tightly packed buildings there. At the time of the explosion, about 125 people were believed to be living in the two apartment blocks that collapsed. After the blast, both buildings caught fire, making rescue work extremely difficult. At least ten fire engines were rushed to the area, and firefighters spent more than two hours battling the flames. Many buildings were also affected, and some caught fire as well. People were trapped inside several structures. Residents described scenes of panic and confusion. One neighbour recalled being woken up by a loud explosion just after midnight. When he ran outside, he said the area was filled with smoke and screams. Many injured people were lying on the streets, while others were trapped under the rubble. Before ambulances could reach the area, residents and volunteers began helping the injured. Trucks and private vehicles were used to carry victims to nearby hospitals. People in the neighbourhood also appealed for blood donations as hospitals struggled to treat the large number of injured victims. Questions over what caused the blast Initially, police believed that a bomb had caused the explosion. However, investigators also considered another possibility. One officer suggested that a large quantity of explosives might have been stored inside one of the buildings and could have exploded due to careless handling. Because of this possibility, authorities said the blast might not have been planned in the same way as the coordinated attacks in Mumbai. At that time, it was also unclear whether the Kolkata explosion had any connection with the bombings in Mumbai that had occurred just four days earlier. Screengrab of a news report by The Independent The area where the explosion took place is located close to several important government buildings, including the state government headquarters at Writers’ Building and the city’s police headquarters. The incident, therefore, raised serious concerns about security across major Indian cities. International warnings and ongoing investigations The tense situation following the Mumbai blasts had already led to international alerts. The United States had warned Indian authorities that more attacks could take place. The US State Department informed New Delhi that intelligence suggested there might be a heightened threat of further terrorist activity in the Indian capital. Washington even advised American citizens to postpone travel to India temporarily. US bomb experts also offered to assist Indian investigators in examining the explosives used in the Mumbai blasts. Authorities hoped the analysis might help determine whether there was any link with other incidents. The police continued their investigation into the network behind the Mumbai bombings. Two suspects believed to have been involved in the attacks were surrounded by police during a raid but managed to escape after a gunfight. Criminal networks and economic motives Investigators believed that the Mumbai blasts involved members of the city’s organised crime groups. At the time, Mumbai’s underworld had long been involved in smuggling gold, electronics and foreign currency into India from Gulf countries. But economic reforms introduced in the early 1990s reduced import duties and weakened the smuggling trade. With their earlier sources of income shrinking, criminal gangs increasingly turned toward drugs, extortion and other illegal activities. Authorities suspected that such networks may have played a role in helping carry out the bombings. However, questions remained about why criminal groups would cooperate in such large-scale attacks on Indian cities. The Bowbazar terror attack and the 2015 debate The investigation into the Bowbazar explosion eventually led to the arrest of several individuals. One of the main accused in the case was Rashid Khan, known locally as a satta operator. According to investigators, explosives had been stored in a building linked to him.The explosion that destroyed the buildings in Bowbazar was believed to have been caused by the stored explosives. In 2001, Khan was convicted under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, or TADA, and sentenced to life imprisonment. More than a decade later, in 2015, the West Bengal government considered releasing him from prison. By that time, Khan was over 60 years old and had spent many years in jail. Officials said he had maintained good conduct during his imprisonment and had even begun learning painting while in custody. Sources said the State Sentence Review Board examined the possibility of his release under provisions that allow remission of sentences. However, the proposal created debate among officials because he had been convicted under TADA, a central anti-terror law. Authorities also noted that the Calcutta High Court had earlier confirmed his life sentence, and the judicial department planned to seek the court’s views before any final decision. 2025 court ruling on another convict More than three decades after the blast, the case returned to court again in 2025. A division bench of the Calcutta High Court cancelled the early release of another life convict in the Bowbazar blast case, Md Khalid. Khalid had earlier been granted remission by a single judge of the High Court. However, the State Review Board later expressed doubts about releasing him. The division bench, consisting of Justices Debangsu Basak and Md Shabbar Rashidi, examined the matter and ruled that the earlier order directing his release could not stand. The judges said that courts reviewing such matters should mainly check whether authorities followed the proper process while deciding on remission. They should not replace the decision taken by the review board if it is reasonable. The bench noted that the board had given clear reasons for refusing Khalid’s release and that its decision could not be described as arbitrary. Kolkata Police had also raised concerns during the review process, warning that Khalid might return to criminal activity if released. Police told the court that Khalid had worked closely with Rashid Khan and had carried out various criminal activities under his instructions to create fear in the area. Khalid, who is now around 60 years old, has spent over 30 years in prison after being arrested in 1993. His lawyers told the court that he suffers from diabetes and requires medical care. However, the court observed that remission cannot be claimed as a right. While a convict may request consideration for early release, the final decision must depend on legal rules and the assessment of authorities. The bench ultimately directed the review board to reconsider Khalid’s request in accordance with the law. A forgotten chapter of 1993 While today, the Mumbai blasts of 1993 have become a very popular memory, the terror attack that took place just a few days after the blasts in the Bowbazar area of Kolkata does not receive much attention. While for some, the terror attack is still a memory, for others, it is a reminder of the damage it caused, including the destruction of homes and the loss of many lives. More than three decades later, court cases related to the incident continue to surface from time to time, reminding the country that the terror attack was not limited to Mumbai alone.