Madrasa blast near Dhaka: Police recover bomb-making materials; four hurt, children injured

Four people, including two children, were injured after an explosion ripped through a madrasa in South Keraniganj on the outskirts of Dhaka on Friday afternoon, according to Bdnews24.As per the report, the madrasa has around 50 students, although classes were not in session at the time as Friday is the weekly holiday. Local residents said the force of the blast caused the walls of two rooms used by the madrasa to collapse, leaving visible cracks in the roof and supporting columns. Damage was also reported to a neighbouring building. Parveen Begum, the owner of the affected property next door, said she had no knowledge of any illegal activity taking place under the guise of the madrasa. “When I went there on Friday, I saw that the area around the building had been blown apart,” she told BDnews24. Police later recovered chemicals, crude explosive devices and bomb-making equipment from inside the building, residents told reporters, raising serious questions about how the site was being used.The blast occurred at the Ummal Qura International Madrasa in the Hasnabad area, triggering panic among local residents and causing structural damage to the building. Although the madrasa typically has around 50 students enrolled, classes were not in session at the time as Friday is observed as a weekly holiday.Authorities have not yet released details on what caused the explosion or whether arrests have been made. An investigation is underway to determine how the explosive materials ended up inside the madrasa.Earlier today, at least 20 students were injured in a mob attack in Faridpur that led to the cancellation of a concert by veteran rock singer James. The concert, marking the closing of Faridpur Zilla School’s 185th anniversary celebrations, was due to be held late on Friday night on a temporary stage set up within the school premises. Organisers said a group of outsiders attempted to force their way into the venue after being turned away, pelting bricks and stones and trying to seize the stage.Students resisted the attackers, but many were injured by flying debris. Additional Superintendent of Police Azmir Hossain said the exact number of casualties was still being verified. In view of the deteriorating situation, the district administration ordered the event to be cancelled.The attack comes amid a recent spate of assaults on cultural institutions across Bangladesh, with organisations such as Chhayanaut and Udichi Shilpi Goshthi also targeted in recent weeks.