Keraniganj madrasah blast: Main suspect’s shelter provider sent on 5-day remand

A Dhaka court has sent Ahsan Ullah, the alleged shelter provider of the main suspect Al Amin, on a five-day remand in connection with the blast at a madrasah in Hasnabad Housing of Keraniganj area in the capital in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Tajul Islam Sohag passed the order this afternoon (29 December) following a police request.

The suspect was presented in court by police. Sub-Inspector Md Zahurul Islam of South Keraniganj Police Station sought a ten-day remand, but the court approved five days. 

The investigation officer said Al Amin took shelter with Ahsan after the incident, and both are linked to a banned militant group. No lawyer was present for the suspect. 

However, Ahsan told the court he was a hawker and denied any involvement. 

The suspect was arrested on 27 December from South Keraniganj. Police recovered several drums containing around 400 litres of liquid chemicals, four crude bombs-like objects, a laptop, and two monitors. 

The madrasah director and main accused Sheikh Al Amin remain at large. On 28 December, six other suspects were placed on different periods of remand.

According to the case statement, on 26 December, at around 10:25am a loud blast damaged walls and parts of the ceiling, scattering debris. The CID Crime Scene Unit, led by Inspector Saifur Rahman and Sub-Inspector Mostafizur Rahman, along with the Anti-Terrorism Bomb Disposal Unit, RAB, Fire Service, and other teams, conducted extensive evidence collection. 

During a two-day operation, investigators recovered explosives, bomb-making materials, hydrogen peroxide, acetone, nitric acid, white powder in jars, nine fresh cocktail bombs wrapped in black plastic, and other chemicals from Al Amin's rented house.