Bomb blast in madrasa injures 7 

MADARIPUR, Aug 15: At least seven students of a women’s madrasa were injured on Saturday morning when a suspected crude bomb exploded after they picked up a ball-like object outside a house in Madaripur’s Kalkini Upazila, police said.

One of the students was critically injured and was referred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) for specialised treatment.

The blast occurred around 9:30am in the sitting room of a house opposite Darussunnah Women’s Madrasa in 
According to the police, the students had gone to the house to have their tiffin when they noticed the object lying outside the sitting room. They picked it up, triggering the explosion.

Farhia Rafiq Bhavna, additional superintendent of police (Crime, Sadar and Kalkini Circle) in Madaripur, said the blast occurred at the house, not inside the madrasa.

“The students had gone there for tiffin. They spotted a ball-like object and picked it up, which triggered the explosion,” she said. Police initially suspected the object was a crude bomb.

The injured students include Minha, 10, Jannat, 9, Maimuna, 9, and Abida, 8. Police said seven students were injured in the blast.

Locals rushed the injured students to Madaripur Sadar Hospital. After receiving initial treatment, one student was transferred to DMCH  in critical condition, while the others were kept under treatment at the district hospital.

The owner of the house, Emon Sardar, said he did not know how the suspected explosive had ended up outside his home.

Police said the area had previously witnessed crude-bomb explosions and clashes linked to disputes over local dominance. 

Investigators, however, have yet to determine who placed the suspected bomb at the scene or whether the blast was connected to any ongoing conflict.

Police, officials from the Criminal Investigation Department and the Rapid Action Battalion inspected the spot after the blast. 

Authorities are investigating the incident and examining the circumstances in which the suspected explosive was left near the house. No arrests had been reported in connection with the blast as of Saturday afternoon.