Explosion near temple in Comilla amid rising violence in Bangladesh; priest among injured
Dhaka (The Uttam Hindu): Three people were injured in a series of petrol bomb blasts near the Kalagachhitla Temple and the surrounding road in Bangladesh's Comilla city. The injured included temple priest Keshav Chakraborty, local resident Abdul Barek, and another unidentified person. The incident occurred on Saturday evening, March 7, raising fears of a breakdown in communal harmony in the area.
Comilla Superintendent of Police Mohammad Anisuzzaman said the blasts injured three people, including the priest and a passerby. The injured were immediately hospitalized. Police have launched a manhunt for those involved.
Violence erupts again in Bangladesh; explosion near temple in Comilla injures three, including priest: Station House Officer of Kotwali Model Police Station, Md. Tauhidul Anwar, said that police have obtained CCTV footage from the scene and are examining it. He said that the motive behind the explosion and the identity of the attackers have not been confirmed yet, but raids are ongoing to nab the perpetrators.
According to CCTV footage, a masked man entered the temple premises at around 6:28 p.m., carrying a bag. He left the bag and fled, and moments later, an explosion occurred, injuring priest Keshav Chakraborty. He was later taken to a hospital for treatment. According to police, the attackers detonated two more crude bombs at a nearby Buddhist temple and on the surrounding road as they fled.
Tapas Bakshi, general secretary of the Comilla unit of the Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council, said the attack could be a conspiracy to disrupt communal harmony. He said police recovered some evidence from the scene, including an axe and a bag.
Local resident Shyamlal Krishna Saha also said that the area is home to a Buddhist temple, two Hindu temples, and a mosque. Therefore, the explosions appear to have been aimed at disrupting the communal harmony of the area. He demanded an impartial and thorough investigation into the incident.