Shah Jalal Shrine
Blast Details
Two people were killed and British High Commissioner to
Bangladesh Anwar Choudhury was among about 70 injured
in a powerful bomb blast, second in five months, at Hazrat
Shahjalal Shrine in Sylhet on May 21, 2004.
The Bangladesh-born envoy, barely 18 days into his new
assignment, suffered minor leg injuries as the bomb exploded
on impact bouncing off his belly to the tiled floor of
the shrine after Friday prayers. A medical bulletin of
the Inter-Services Public Relations says Choudhury is
out of danger.
The 700-year-old shrine, 278km northeast of the capital,
jolted with the force of the blast that came at about
1:40pm with a big bang, sending worshippers running for
cover.
Witnesses saw scores of the injured writhing in pain on
the ground strewn with slippers, shoes, prJubair Ahmed
Rubel, son of Lilafar Ali of Jharnarpar, was among the
dead. The 26-year-old was a student of master's in philosophy
at Madan Mohan College, but the other dead could not be
identified immediately. 
Sylhet Deputy Commissioner Abul Hossain and the envoy's
two bodyguards suffered injuries in the explosion that
blasted off about 1 square feet of floor tiles and flung
splinters as far as 20 feet. Thick smoke covered the areaayer
caps and blood-stained shirts. At least 10 people were
seriously injured.
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