Ahmadiyya mosque torched, bombed in B’baria

AGENCIES, BRAHMANBARIA

June 24: A gang of terrorists torched and bombed a mosque of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat at Kandipara in Brahmanbaria town in the early hours Friday.

Police and local people said two other Ahmadiyya mosques in Sadar upazila and the district town were also bombed at the same time.

After torching the mosque, the attackers planted 30 to 35 bombs around the mosque. Later the bombs were detonated through a remote control.

The bombs injured sleeping Ayesha Begum (45) and Bashir Ahmed (25) at a nearby house.

Local people said some unidentified people torched the Kandipara mosque using petrol at around 3:10am.

Locals rushed to the spot to douse the fire but it spread very rapidly and then a series of bombs exploded one after another with loud bangs. But the locals could not see the attackers.

The fire service rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control.

At the same time unidentified attackers bombed an Ahmadiyya mosque at Bhadurpur in Brahmanbaria town and another one at Suhilpur in Sadar upazila.

Manjur Hossain, the Ameer of Brahmanbaria Ahmadiyya Jamaat told BDNEWS that a local group opposed to the Ahmadiyyas carried out the attack.

He alleged that Jahirul Islam, general secretary of local Khatme Nabuyat Movement and his associates opposed a move when they tried to observe Siratunnabi on 12 Rabiul Awwal.

“We couldn’t observe the Siratunnabi due to the threat,” he said.

Police were deployed in the area.

Local police said the bombs were detonated with remote control devices. Later police recovered three unexploded bombs from the area.

After receiving the news of the attack on Ahmadiyya mosques in Brahmanbaria, the central leaders of the community came here in the morning.

Rezaul Karim, a central leader of Ahmadiyya Jamaat demanded proper investigation into the attack and punishment of the culprits.

Members of the Ahmadiyya community, also known as Kadiani, suspected that anti-Ahmadiyya groups were responsible for the bomb attack and arson.

Police Super ATM Tareq and other police officers visited the troubled spot where police forces were deployed to maintain law and order.

The Ahmadiyyas have been allegedly targeted by some fundamentalist Islamic groups who believe that they should be declared non-Muslims.