Families of Sylhet blast victims wail in misery

Families of those killed in blasts during the siege laid on militant hideout in Sylhet are wailing in despair and blaming authorities for negligence.

"If the law enforcers are killed like this, then how will the people survive?" said sister of one police officer killed in the blast.

Six people including two police inspectors died in a blast that occurred inside one kilometre radius of the Shibbarhi militant hideout on Saturday 7pm.

Forty-three people including the chief of RAB's detective branch sustained injuries.

The deceased police officials are Jalalabad Police Station's Inspector Monirul Islam and court police's Inspector Chowdhury Md Abu Koiser.

The others killed were local Chhatra League leader Jannatul Fahmi, college student Ohidul Islam Opu, a resident of the city's Darhiparha Shohidul Islam and a resident of Chhatak's Doyarbazar Kadim Shah.

The Osmani Medical College Hospital where most of the victims are being treated, witnessed hue and cry on Sunday morning. Many families appear to have lost their bread earners.

Inspector Monirul Islam's brother Saiful Islam wept and said: "How could the militants hurl bombs when so many law enforcers were present!"

"My brother was under training in Dhaka. He was summoned yesterday at 5pm. RAB and the army were present here. What had they been doing for three days?"

Monirul has a daughter and does not have much savings, said his sister Afroze Rozy fearing an uncertain future.

"The administration could not protect my brother. How can police protect people?" she said addressing reporters. 

A relative of Kadim said Kadim and Shahid were friends and they used to run a business on catering. They had gone to Shibbarhi to work on a contract.

An explosion rocked the Pathhanparha neighbourhood after army spokesman Brig Gen Fakhrul Ahsan had briefed the media on Saturday morning.

The briefing was done after para-commandoes cordoned off the hideouts.

Police and RAB personnel rushed to the spot and soon another explosion occurred on the road that ends reaching the hideouts in Shibbarhi.

One of the injured persons, Gulzar Ahmed, told bdnews24.com at the hospital that some onlookers stopped a person carrying a black polythene bag.

"The blast occurred just after he said that there was red spinach in the bag. Five to six people were injured in the explosion," he said.

"Another large explosion occurred when police and RAB rushed to the scene. Around 25 people were injured in the second blast," he added.

College student Opu's uncle Md Shahin said: "How can such attacks take place amid such heightened security? There were army, police and RAB…"

Sylhet police Commissioner Golam Kibria rubbished allegations of negligence.

"Definitely we were not careless. We were on duty. Those who have perpetrated the crime will be identified," he said.

Police patrol has been beefed up in the area and more check posts have been set up, he added.

Golam Kibria said autopsy was done on the six bodies. Bodies of the police officials have been handed over to their families. 

A namaz-e-janaza was held for Inspector Monirul and Inspector Abu Koiser.

Monirul's body has been sent to his hometown Noakhali and Koiser's body has been sent to his home town Sunamganj.