Three small explosions yesterday at separate train stations across Bangladesh left one bystander injured in an attack claimed by a group opposed to non-government development agencies, a railway spokesman said.
The explosive devices had been hidden in small bags at train stations in the capital, Dhaka, and the cities of Sylhet and Chittagong, railway spokesman Shafiqul Alam Khan said. One rickshaw puller was slightly injured in Chittagong, and police were investigating the attacks. Militant slogans claiming to be from al-Qaeda were found at two of the sites.
One man was hurt in the blasts, which triggered panic among commuters who evacuated railway terminals.
Thin metal sheets scribbled with slogans were found at the bomb sites in Dhaka's Kamalapur and Sylhet terminals. The third blast was in the railway terminal of the southeastern city of Chittagong.
"If Hazrat [Prophet] Mohammad is not declared the superman of the world by May 10, all non-governmental organizations will be blown up," the slogans on the metal sheets read in the Bengali language. They were signed "the al-Qaeda network" in English.
"The bombs were kept in cotton sacks, along with the metal sheets. They exploded before anyone detected them," said police Inspector Abu Zafar Alam at Kamalapur, Bangladesh's biggest railway terminal.
"We are puzzled over the motives [of those who planted the bombs]. But they dared to take the risk," said another police officer.
No one has been arrested, nor could police immediately confirm any al Qaeda link to the blasts.
Police said Munir Hossain, a rickshaw-puller, was injured at the Chittagong terminal when he tried to open one of the sacks before it exploded.
The outlawed Islamist group, Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen, carried out a series of bomb blasts across Bangladesh on Aug. 17, 2005, killing three people and injuring more than 100.
In more attacks through the rest of 2005, the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen and another outlawed group, Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh, killed nearly 30 more people and wounded 150, including judges, lawyers, police and officials.
Six leaders from the two groups were executed on March 30 for their role in the blasts.
Many commuters fled the terminals, too scared to board trains.
"I am afraid to take on the journey. There may be more bombs around," said Didarul Alam, a bank official waiting to board a train to Chittagong. "They have spoiled my holiday.
Many Bangladeshis were travelling out of Dhaka taking advantage of a two-day public holiday for May Day and a Buddhist religious festival today.
Security has been tightened across the country, police said.
Intelligence groups last month alerted the government that Islamist militants were regrouping after the execution of the militant leaders.
"This [Tuesday's blasts] proved they are still active and dared to show their teeth," said one security official who asked not to be named.
Yesterday's blasts occurred almost simultaneously around 7:30am, police said.
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