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UK envoy hurt in Bangladesh blast
A bomb in the north-eastern Bangladeshi town of Sylhet has wounded many people, among them the British high commissioner, police say. The British High Commission confirmed that Anwar Choudhury was among casualties, but had no more details. Local reports say he is receiving treatment in hospital for leg injuries. It is unclear who is behind the blast, which took place at a Muslim saintâs shrine. A bomb at the same shrine earlier this year killed three people. The BBCâs Roland Buerk in Dhaka says the explosion occurred barely 10 metres from Mr Choudhury as he walked out of a mosque at the shrine of Hazrat Shahjalal after Friday prayers. Police say they suspect a bomb was thrown by somebody in the crowd. The Bangladeshi-born Mr Choudhury only took up his post in the country last week. His family is originally from the Sylhet region and his visit to the mosque was widely publicised. A doctor at the Sylhet Medical College Hospital told the Reuters news agency: "The high commissioner is being treated for splinters in his legs below the knees but his condition is not serious." The Associated Press agency said an army helicopter had been sent to bring Mr Choudhury back to Dhaka. In an attack on the shrine in January three people were killed by an explosion during a religious gathering. No one has been arrested for that bombing, but Islamic extremists have been widely blamed. I distinctly remember reading about Bangladesh becoming a hot spot for AQ... Posted by: The Screaming Nun 2004-05-21 |
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