Keraniganj, Dec 27 (V7N) — A powerful explosion occurred at a madrasa building in Hasnabad area of South Keraniganj on Friday afternoon, injuring four people, including women and children. Several walls of the single-story madrasa were blown out in the blast. Police recovered explosives, chemical substances, and materials used for bomb-making from the site.

The incident took place around midday at Ummal Qura International Madrasa. Local residents reported that a sudden loud explosion shook the area, causing walls of multiple rooms to collapse and cracks to appear in ceilings and beams. Adjacent rooms and a neighboring building were partially damaged.

Fortunately, the madrasa was closed for the weekend, preventing potential mass casualties among the roughly 50 students who study there.

The injured include the madrasa director Sheikh Al Amin (32), his wife Ashia Begum (28), and two of their three children, Umaiyat (10) and Abdullah (7). The family was initially treated at a local hospital before being transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for advanced care.

The madrasa operated classes in three rooms on one side of the building, while the director’s family had lived in a separate room on the other side for the past three years. Neighbors described damage to their properties, with falling debris causing injuries and structural damage.

Parveen Begum, the property owner, said the madrasa had been rented and operated by Mufti Harun, who occasionally visited the premises. She expressed shock at discovering the extent of the destruction and noted that police had recovered chemicals, explosive devices, and bomb-making materials from inside the building.

South Keraniganj Police Officer-in-Charge (OC) Saiful Alam confirmed that the Bomb Disposal Unit was deployed to the scene. A general diary has been filed, and the Crime Scene and Bomb Disposal Units are investigating the cause of the explosion.

Authorities are assessing the full extent of the damage and continue to investigate whether the explosion was accidental or deliberate.

END/MD/SMA/