About 50 bombs have exploded almost simultaneously in cities around Bangladesh: around 15 in the capital Dhaka, 20 in the southern port of Chittagong, nine explosions in southern Barisal and at least six in south-western Khulna. "There are bomb blasts all over the country. We have reports of some injuries but no fatalities yet," Abdul Kaiyum, Bangladesh's inspector general of police, said.
Islamic Muslim fundamentalists appear to be behind the attacks, Police in some of the cities say leaflets calling for implementation of Islamic law were found near the scene of the blasts, some written in Arabic and others in English.
Mazeedul Haq, Chittagong's police commissioner, says a group calling itself Jamayetul Mujahideen had signed leaflets reading: "It is time to implement Islamic law in Bangladesh. There is no future with with man-made law." A police official in Barisal says leaflets had been found there reading: "Bush and Blair be warned and get out of Muslim countries. Your days of ruling Muslim countries are over."
Already back in June, local sources of AsiaNews had described the situation in the country as "worrying" because there seemed to be an escalation of violence linked to fundamentalism.