Explosion reported again at Keraniganj madrasah; one injured
The injured worker received first aid at a nearby hospital and was later released
Another explosion occurred at the previously damaged Ummul Qura International Madrasah in the Hasnabad Housing area of South Keraniganj, leaving one worker injured.
The incident took place on Wednesday afternoon (31 December) while cleaning work was underway at the madrasah building, police said.
The injured worker, identified as Raju, sustained injuries to his leg. He was taken to a nearby hospital, given first aid, and later sent home.
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South Keraniganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Saiful Alam told The Business Standard that the building owner, Parvin Begum, had entered the damaged premises with the worker to clear debris. According to the police's initial assessment, the blast occurred when a chemical residue that had remained wet dried and reacted due to friction from movement. He said the intensity of the explosion was very low.
The OC added that authorities had earlier instructed that the building should not be cleaned, as the Anti-Terrorism Unit was scheduled to inspect the site. However, the owner proceeded with the cleaning without informing the authorities.
The latest incident follows a major explosion at the same madrasah on 26 December, which caused extensive damage to parts of the building. After a two-day operation, teams from the Criminal Investigation Department crime scene unit, the Anti-Terrorism Unit, Rapid Action Battalion, and the Fire Service and Civil Defence recovered around 400 litres of liquid chemicals, including hydrogen peroxide, acetone, and nitric acid, along with nine crude explosive devices and bomb-making materials from the site.
Following the earlier blast, a case was filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act by Sub-Inspector Islam Liton of South Keraniganj Police Station. So far, seven people have been arrested in connection with the case. Police said the madrasah director and prime suspect, Sheikh Al Amin, remains at large.
