Police say a madrasa in Hasnabad, South Keraniganj, was used to manufacture bombs throughout the night before a powerful explosion tore through the building on Friday morning. Two ready-made bombs, five electric bomb–like devices, and a large cache of bomb-making materials were recovered from the site, according to police statements made in court on Sunday.
Based on preliminary investigation, police told the court that the madrasa’s director, Sheikh Al Amin, made the bombs overnight before the explosion occurred around 10:30 am. The blast reduced two of the four rooms in the building to rubble and damaged the remaining rooms. Al Amin’s wife and two children were injured in the explosion. After initially taking them toward a hospital, Al Amin fled, leaving them behind. He remains absconding.
A case was filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act shortly after midnight on Saturday, naming seven accused. Six people have been arrested so far, including three women—Al Amin’s wife Asiya Begum, her sister-in-law Asmani Khatun alias Asma, and Yasmin Akter, wife of Asiya’s brother. Based on information provided by them, police later arrested three men from Dhaka and Bagerhat: Shaheen alias Abu Bakar, Aminur alias Darji Amin, and Shafiar Rahman Fakir.
Police said the seizure list includes 394 liters of liquid chemicals, 27 kilograms of powdered substances, iron balls and metal cuttings, shotgun cartridges, bombs, bomb-like devices, a money-counting machine, handcuffs, computers, motorcycles, and multiple jihadist books. The case accuses the defendants of spreading terror, attempting sabotage, damaging lives and property, promoting religious extremism, and conspiracy.
During the remand hearing, the investigating officer described the accused as militants, though Dhaka district police have not formally confirmed organizational links. Police officials acknowledged that Al Amin had previously been arrested in a 2017 anti-terrorism case on suspicion of involvement with an extremist group. Investigations are ongoing as police continue efforts to arrest the main suspect and determine the full scope of the operation.
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