Mymensingh blasts by robbers

A gang of robbers burgled a jewellery shop on Monday evening creating panic by exploding homemade bombs at Mymensingh town’s Ganginar Parh within a few hundred yards of the main stage of a demonstration demanding death penalty for war criminals.

Eyewitnesses said at least 20 crude bombs were exploded by miscreants near the copycat Shahbagh mass protest venue, the ‘Ganajagaran Mancha’ around 8:30pm.

The people rushed to the scene of the explosions suspecting that the supporters of Jamaat-e-Islami might have carried out the attack.

The angry locals vandalised the ATM booth of the local branch of the Islami Bank. They also ransacked and set ablaze the mess of Islami Chhatra Shibir activists at Brammapalli.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Mainul Islam told reporters that a jewellery shop was robbed in Ganginar Parh At the same time, a programme was taking place at a mass demonstration venue in Durgabari Road– a few hundred yards away from the robbery spot.

“So, confusion was created,” the police official said.

A demonstration is taking place in Mymensingh town under the banner of ‘Jago Mymensingh’ expressing solidarity with the Shahbagh protest.

The Jamaat will observe demonstration across the country on Tuesday demanding release of its top eight leaders, now facing war crimes charges, and dissolution of the International Crimes Tribunal.

Since tension rose over the Islamist party’s programme, the participants of the cultural programme in Mymensingh town assumed that the Shibir men were involved in the explosions.

Following the explosions, the people vandalised the Islami Bank, Retina Coaching Centre and the Jamaat-run Swadesh Hospital in Sarada Ghosh Road.

Police said the masked miscreants exploded some crude bombs to create panic after robbing gold ornaments from Alim Jewellers at Imperial Market.

At least five people were injured in the explosions.