Blast at Temple in Cumilla Injures Priest, Sparks Panic in Area

Four people, including a priest, were injured in a cocktail explosion left by miscreants at a temple in Cumilla city. The incident occurred around 6:30 PM on Saturday (March 7) at the Kali Gachtala Shiva Temple in the South Thakurpara (Baganbari) area of the city. Police said that two more cocktail explosions took place at nearby locations around the temple at the same time.

Eyewitnesses said that a Shani Puja ceremony was taking place at the temple in the evening. At that time, priest Keshab Chakraborty and several devotees were present there. Suddenly, a cocktail exploded inside the temple. The priest, Keshab Chakraborty, was injured in the blast. He was quickly rescued and taken to a hospital.

CCTV footage of the incident shows that around 6:28 PM, a masked person entered the temple carrying a bag. After a short while, he left the bag inside the temple and quickly ran away from the spot. Shortly after that, the sound of an explosion was heard, and panic spread in the temple area.

Police said that while fleeing, the miscreants carried out two more cocktail explosions in front of a Buddhist temple near the temple and in front of a BRAC office. Three people were injured in those blasts. Among them, two have been admitted to Cumilla General Hospital. The injured were identified as A. Barek, son of Sujat Ali, and Jihad, son of Nazrul Islam, both residents of the Thakurpara Baganbari area. Another injured person reportedly received primary treatment and left.

Injured priest Keshab Chakraborty said that at the time of the explosion, a white object fell in front of him. At first, he thought something had fallen from a tree. Later, after seeing smoke, others told him that it was a bomb.

Following the incident, tension and panic spread in the area. Members of the law enforcement agencies rushed to the scene after receiving the news and brought the situation under control. Shyamal Krishna, convener of the Cumilla Metropolitan Puja Celebration Front, said that it is still not certain who carried out the attack. He demanded that the culprits be quickly identified and brought under the law.

In this regard, Officer-in-Charge Md. Towhidul Anwar of Kotwali Model Police Station said that CCTV footage from the scene has been collected and the matter is under investigation.

Later, after visiting the scene, Anisuzzaman, Superintendent of Police of Cumilla, said that some evidence of the explosion and a bag have been seized. A bomb disposal expert team from Dhaka will examine the matter. He also said that efforts are underway to identify and arrest those involved.