Seven killed in Netrokona in suicide bomb attack, 3rd Ld

The suicide squad of banned Jama'atul Mujahiden Bangladesh (JMB) Thursday struck again within a week, this time in Netrokona, hometown of the home minister, killing at least seven people and injuring 50 others.[3rd Ld]

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Yasinur Rahman

BDNEWS Correspondent

Netrokona, Dec 8 (BDNEWS) – The suicide squad of banned Jama'atul Mujahiden Bangladesh (JMB) Thursday struck again within a week, this time in Netrokona, hometown of the home minister, killing at least seven people and injuring 50 others.

The dead include an activist of cultural organisation Udichi, the first target of organised bomb attacks in the country in March 6 in 1999 when 12 people were killed and 100 injured.

The district Awami League called for a dawn-to-dusk hartal in the district on Sunday and demonstrations on Saturday in protest against the killing.

Of the dead, two people died on the spot in front of Udichi office, two died in Netrokona Sadar Hospital while three others succumbed to their wounds at Mymensingh Medical College Hospital.

The dead include Khaja Haider Hossain, joint convenor of Udichi's Netrokona district unit, Jahanara, 35, wife of Samad and Yadab, 32, worker of a wielding factory.

Among the killed there is an 8-year child.

Police claimed that one of the two suicide bombers died on the spot. Another was found lying there for long in an unconscious state in the pool of blood. Police did not dare to touch him as electric wire was found tied with his leg.

But, later, he was shifted to sadar hospital. The identity of the suicide bomber, aged 30, could not be known.

Police said that Yadab Biswas was one of the members of the suicide squad.

"Yadab was also tied with electric wire," police added.

Gopal Malik, employer of Yadab, said that he (Yadab) was a good soul.

Witnesses said some local people discovered a bomb in front of the Udichi office near the kitchen market of the town at about 9:40am. Fire brigade personnel rushed to the spot and started spraying water to defuse the bomb but the bomb blew off leaving three people, including two policemen, injured.

Immediately after the blast, people thronged the spot along with officials of district and police administrations. A suicide bomber riding a bicycle appeared in the spot at about 10:30am and detonated another powerful bomb in the middle of the crowd leaving two people dead on the spot and scores injured.

Witnesses said the suicide bomber carried out the carnage as the deputy commissioner and police super were just boarding their cars after visiting the spot. Both of them remained unhurt.

Earlier, the JMB had circulated leaflets threatening to attack civil and police administrations, court and educational institutions in the district.

The injured were rushed to Netrokona Sadar Hospital, while some of the critically injured were shifted to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital.

Of the injured, 30 were identified as Sanwar Hossain Bhuiyan, general secretary of district Udichi, Rony, Ripon, Mokhles, Sujit, Liton, Rafiqul Islam, Ratan Karmokar, Sub Inspector (SI) Osman, Assistant SI Abdus Samad, Constables Humayun Kabir and Zakaria, Shah Alam, Zinnat Ali, Raihan, Golam Kibria, Borhan, Ismail, Mahbub, Bimal Saha, Molay Banik, Abul Kalam Azad, Suditra Pal, Arnab Hossain, Rajib, Karuna Saha, Munna, Titu and Ratan Karmokar.

After the incident, panic gripped the Netrokona town. All kinds of shops and business establishments closed their shutter soon after the blasts.

The law enforcing agencies imposed restriction of motor vehicle movement in some key points of the town and launched massive checking.

The Netrokona hospital authorities declared the outdoor treatment closed fearing fresh attack on the patients.

A heavy contingent of RAB, para-military BDR, along side police, was deployed in the town.

JMB launched its first suicide attack on judges in Jhalakathi on November 14 leaving two judges – Sohel Ahmed and Jagannath Pandey - dead on the spot.

On Oct 18, a judge of the Speedy Trial Tribunal in Sylhet, Biplab Goswami, narrowly escaped a bomb attack.

The suicide bombers on November 29 carried out bomb attacks at district bar library in Gazipur and Chittagong courts leaving 13 people dead. The banned Islamic outfit carried out another suicide attack on December 1 killing a man and injuring 20 people in front of Gazipur DC office.

BDNEWS/1955 hrs