Keraniganj Madrasa Explosion: Huge Quantity of Chemicals Recovered, Three Women Arrested

Police have reported the recovery of a large quantity of chemicals and cocktail-like materials from a madrasa building explosion in South Keraniganj of the capital Dhaka. So far, three women have been arrested in connection with the incident. The main suspect, Sheikh Alamin, is currently absconding.

Police are investigating whether the explosion was caused by a chemical reaction or by the use of explosives.

These details were disclosed by Dhaka District Police Superintendent Md. Mizanur Rahman at a press conference held on Saturday (27 December) afternoon at the South Keraniganj Police Station premises.

It may be mentioned that the explosion occurred on Friday (26 December) at around 10:30 am in a single-storey building of Ummal Qura International Madrasa in the Hasnabad area of South Keraniganj. At least four people were injured in the incident.

At the press conference, the police superintendent said, “Immediately after the explosion, the Anti-Terrorism Unit was informed. At the same time, the CID Crime Scene Unit identified the location as a crime scene.”

He said that during the search of the site, one laptop, two monitors, various types of liquid chemicals, and four cocktail-like objects were recovered.

According to police information, the madrasa had been run by Sheikh Alamin and his wife Asia since 2022. Of the four rooms in the building, two were used for madrasa activities, while the remaining two were used as their family residence.

At the time of the explosion, Asia and their three children were inside the building. The injured included Asia and her three children.

The police superintendent said, “After the explosion, Alamin took his wife and children to a local hospital. Later, they were referred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. However, leaving his wife and children there, he went into hiding. After the incident, multiple teams led by an additional superintendent of police launched operations. The Dhaka District DB team was also involved in the operation.”

Police said that Alamin’s wife Asia and his elder brother’s wife Yasmin Akhter were taken into custody for interrogation. Based on information obtained during interrogation, another woman named Asmani Khatun was detained from the Basabo area of Dhaka late Friday night. Later, all three women were formally shown arrested.

Mentioning that Alamin has multiple cases against him, the police superintendent said, “Preliminary interrogation revealed that Sheikh Alamin has cases filed against him in several districts around Dhaka. He was also arrested in 2017 and 2020. In addition, Asmani Khatun, also known as Asma, has multiple cases filed against her in different police stations across the country.”

He said that after being released on bail in 2023, Alamin initially worked as an auto-rickshaw driver and later as an Uber driver.

The police superintendent said, “The fire service has inspected the site, but has not yet provided a written opinion. A large stock of chemicals and cocktail-like explosives have been found at the scene. The matter is being thoroughly examined.”

According to the preliminary assessment of the CID Crime Scene Unit and the Anti-Terrorism Unit, the explosion may have occurred due to a chemical reaction or a reaction involving explosive substances.

Police said that approximately 400 liters of liquid chemicals were found in various containers at the site. Some containers were labeled ‘Hydrogen Peroxide’. Due to the debris, the full seizure list has not yet been finalized.

Regarding possible links to militant organizations, the police superintendent said that nothing could be confirmed at this moment. “Handcuffs and some suspicious items including old belts were found at the scene, and those are being examined,” he said.

In response to a question about whether there was any plan for sabotage ahead of the national election, he said, “The matter is being investigated with importance. However, there is nothing conclusive to say at this stage.”

According to police information, a person named Mufti Harun was one of the directors of the madrasa and had rented the house. Preliminary information suggests that he is currently outside the country.

The police superintendent further said, “Initially, it appears that they were engaged in some activity involving explosive substances. However, it cannot yet be termed as sabotage. After a case is filed, reports from various agencies, the source of the chemicals, and whether there are any signs of training or diagrams will all be examined.”

He said, “South Keraniganj is very close to the capital and is a densely populated area. Fortunately, due to the timing and day, a major loss of life was avoided.”

Addressing citizens, he said, “If any suspicious activity by tenants or others is noticed nearby, it must be reported to law enforcement agencies immediately.”

Among the injured, Alamin’s elder son Ummair was comparatively more seriously injured, although none suffered severe burn injuries. Police said that most of the injuries were caused by the collapse of debris.