Three people have been arrested and a cache of bomb-making materials seized following an explosion at Ummal Kura International Madrasa in Hasnabad area of South Keraniganj, Dhaka, that injured four people, including women and children on Friday, authorities said.
Police said they recovered four crude bombs, chemical substances, bomb-making drum equipment, a laptop, and a monitor from the scene.
Sheikh Al Amin’s wife, Asiya, who managed the madrasa, was arrested first. Acting on information provided by her, police also arrested Yasmin Akter, the wife of her brother, and Asmani Khatun Asma.
Background on Al Amin and madrasa operations
Al Amin, who remains at large, had previously been arrested in 2017 and 2020. Seven cases are registered against him in Dhaka and surrounding areas, while multiple cases also exist against Asma, police said. Detective Branch (DB) units are actively searching for Al Amin, and authorities said accurate details of the incident will emerge once he is apprehended.
According to sources from the Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit, Al Amin is a member of the neo-Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (neo-JMB) and had been in hiding for several years.
Investigators said the madrasa was being used as a small-scale bomb-making facility under the guise of teaching. Over 100 liters of acetone silos, which were being used to make Tri-acetone Triperoxide (TATP) bombs, were recovered from the scene. TATP is a highly unstable white crystalline primary explosive frequently used in improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and is extremely sensitive to heat, shock, friction, and static electricity, often leading to accidental detonations.
Explosion and injuries
The explosion occurred around 10am on Friday while a TATP bomb was being manufactured, blowing away the walls of the building.
Superintendent of Police Md Mizanur Rahman said at a press conference on Saturday that Sheikh Al Amin had rented the house since 2022. He ran the madrasa in two rooms of a single-floor building belonging to Ummal Kura International Madrasa. Three rooms on one side of the building were used for madrasa activities, while Al Amin and his family lived on the other side for the past three years.
The madrasa usually hosts 30 to 35 students. However, the blast occurred on a Friday, a holiday, which prevented a major loss of life.
The SP said Sheikh Al Amin (32), his wife Ashiya Begum (28), and two of their three children — sons Umaiyat (10) and Abdullah (7) — were injured. Ashiya and her children were initially taken to a local hospital and later transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Al Amin fled the scene after leaving his family at the hospital.
Damage assessment
Police reported that the walls surrounding two rooms on the west side of the madrasa were destroyed. The walls of two rooms in the single-floor building completely collapsed, and cracks appeared in the roof and beams. Additional cracks were also noted in two adjacent rooms.
Investigators said Mufti Harun originally ran the madrasa and entrusted its management to his brother-in-law Al Amin and Al Amin’s wife, Ashiya. Harun reportedly visited the madrasa occasionally.
Ongoing investigation
A a case was filed, and investigations are ongoing. Authorities said the Dhaka District DB, CID Crime Scene, Bomb Disposal Unit, and CTTC are all working on the case.
