At least 10 injured in bomb blasts at Hindu temple programme in Bangladesh.

Suspected Islamists blast Rash Mela programme at Kantaji temple. 10 persons injured in Hindu Religious gathering.

HENB | Dhaka | Dec 5, 2015:: Ten people were injured as three crude bombs went off under the canopy of a jatra show on the premises of Kantaji Temple, 415 km (260 miles) north of the capital Dhaka, in Kaharole upazila early Saturday.

Police and witnesses said a series of blasts happened at about 1:15am when the hundreds of viewers were watching a jatra show arranged on the temple premises on the occasion of Rash Mela, leaving 10 people injured.

Of the injured, six, including Mokaddes,23, son of Abul Hossain of Damudarpur in Badarganj upazila of Rangpur; Sadhon,35, son of Nanigopal of Sadar upazila in Nilphamari; Jabbar,28, son of Sirajul Islam, and Saidur,27, son of Karim of Dashmael in Kaharole upazila; and Romakanto,22, and Mithu,30, of Birganj upazila of Dinajpur, were admitted to Dinajpur Medical College Hospital.

Syed Nader Hossain, a physician of surgery department at Dinajpur Medical College Hospital, said the bombs might have been planted on the ground as most of the injured persons suffered splinter injuries in the lower part of their bodies. All of them are now out of danger, added Hossian. Abdul Mazid, officer-in-charge of Kaharole Police Station, confirmed that three explosions took place on the premises of Kantaji Rash Mela in the midnight. Additional members of police and Rapid Action Battalion were deployed on the site immediately after the fair was closed after the explosions.

Dinajpur Superintendent of Police Ruhul Amin said police are conducting further drive to arrest the culprits really connected with the blast. The police have already arrested six suspects and were interrogating them, he added. A case was filed in connection.

The incident occurred while an open-air theatrical performance was being staged outside the Kantajir temple during the annual Rash Mela fair in Dinajpur district, said Ruhul Amin, the local police chief.

The attack came after recent threats to the temple’s priest, urging him not to organise any religious gatherings, Mazid. the officer-in-charge of Kaharole Police Station said.

As a matter of fact, many Muslims used to attend the attractive Hindu Rashmela theatrical prorgramme for which was noticed by the fanatic Muslim groups and they wanted to put a brawl in it.

Though attacks on Hindu Temples and properties are common things in Bangladesh, bomb attacks on Hindu religious gatherings are not so familiar in Muslim-majority Bangladesh. Islam is the state religion of Bangladesh since 1977.

The country has suffered a rising tide of Islamist violence over the past year. Four online critics of religious militancy have been hacked to death, among them a U.S. citizen of Bangladesh origin.

So far, no organisation took any responsibility for the blasts at Kantaji Temple.

__with input from Agencies.