Two children hurt in 'crude bomb' blast

Two boys were injured in a “crude bomb” explosion in Chittagong city's New Jhautala area yesterday. 

Sohan, 6, son of Md Sarwar, and Al Amin, 7, son of Md Sumon, are the students of New Jhautala Government Primary School, said police.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

Sohan was admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) and Alamin was given primary treatment, said Inspector Jahir Uddin, in-charge of CMCH police outpost.

Officer-in-charge Sheikh Naser Uddin of Khulshi Police Station said the incident happened near a playground just behind the BGMEA building in Khulshi Rail Gate area around noon when the two were returning home from school.

In the hospital bed, Sohan told The Daily Star that his right leg came into contact with an object wrapped in red tape and it went off.

The panic-stricken student was attended by his mother and his labourer father at the hospital.

Al Amin's father Sumon, a garment worker, said he rushed to the hospital after he heard that his son and another boy were wounded in a blast.

Locals claimed that there was a conflict between supporters of Jhautala ward Commissioner Mohammed Hossen Hiron and local Chhatra League men, supporters of Chittagong City Corporation Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin, over taking control of railway land in the area.

On Tuesday night, Hiron's supporters brought out a procession in New Jhautala area. But the BCL men chased them away. Hiron supporters later allegedly hurled some crude bombs at the BCL men where the explosion happened yesterday, said the locals.

Asked, OC Naser said there was no incident of hurling crude bombs that night.

The OC said the two children might have been injured by a cracker.

The cracker was abandoned near the playground and it went off when the two were playing with that, the police official said.

Police are investigating the incident, the OC added.

Touhid, medical officer of CMCH's orthopaedic surgery ward, said a finger of Sohan's right hand was dislocated and surgery would be needed.