A powerful explosion ripped through Ummal Qura International Madrasa in Keraniganj, on the outskirts of Dhaka, on Friday afternoon (December 26), injuring four family members the madrasa director Sheikh Ala Amin, his wife Asiya Begum, and their sons Umayet and Abdullah as political tensions simmer across Bangladesh.
Police recovered crude cocktails, chemical substances, and bomb-making materials from the Hasnabad site, where the family had lived and run the madrasa for three years after renting from owner Parveen Begum, who denied any knowledge of illegal activities.
No students were present owing to the weekly holiday, sparing the 50 enrolled pupils from greater tragedy, though Asiya Begum remains in custody for questioning as investigations continue without claims of responsibility. South Keraniganj Police Officer-in-Charge Saiful Alam emphasised a thorough probe into possible sabotage, with the injured now stable after hospital treatment.
Devastation engulfs family home and madrasa
The midday blast devastated the single-storey Ummal Qura International Madrasa, collapsing walls in two rooms used for classes and living quarters, shattering windows, and sending cracks through the roof, supporting columns, and even a neighbouring building.
Eyewitnesses described a thunderous roar that shook the densely packed Hasnabad neighbourhood, with smoke billowing as locals rushed to help amid flying debris. “The force was immense; it felt like an earthquake,” recounted nearby shopkeeper Mohammad Rafiq, who aided in pulling the family from the rubble.
South Keraniganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Saiful Alam told reporters: “Our bomb disposal unit seized homemade crude cocktails, suspicious chemicals, and other explosive materials from the debris. The injured two women and two children suffered shrapnel wounds and burns.
Asiya Begum and the children were rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where they are now stable”. Ala Amin, the madrasa director, received initial treatment at a local clinic before transfer.
Fortune smiled on the 50 students, as classes had ended early for the holiday, but the family’s adjacent residence turned their sanctuary into a trap, underscoring the blast’s intimate human cost in a community space meant for faith and learning.
Unrest deepens shadows over educational sites
The madrasa had operated quietly for three years under Sheikh Ala Amin, who took over management after renting the property from Parveen Begum. She insisted to police: “I had no idea about any bomb-making; they paid rent on time and seemed like a normal family running a religious school”.
This incident unfolds against Bangladesh’s turbulent backdrop, where student-led protests against job quotas in July escalated into deadly clashes, toppling Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government in August and unleashing waves of violence, including arson and militancy.
December has seen fresh sparks: riots erupted after activist Osman Hadi’s assassination earlier this month, with reports of attacks on institutions amid political flux and sporadic bombings.
No group has claimed the Keraniganj blast, but police suspect sabotage linked to lingering tensions, echoing recent militancy concerns. Locals express growing fears for educational hubs, vital in a nation where madrasas serve thousands, calling for bolstered security to protect children and communities from unrest’s spillover.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
In Bangladesh’s fragile landscape of recovery, this heartbreaking madrasa explosion not merely bricks and mortar, but a family’s home shattered, children scarred by shrapnel serves as a stark reminder that violence spares no one, least of all the innocent pursuing knowledge and faith.
It erodes the very foundations of harmony, turning places of learning into zones of terror amid a nation still healing from August’s upheaval and December’s riots. The Logical Indian stands resolutely for peace, urging transparent investigations, empathy across divides, and dialogue to replace hatred with coexistence.
