Bomb Explosion at Sacred Shia Site in Bangladesh Leaves One Dead

An explosion of three homemade bombs early on Saturday, October 24, at a sacred site for Shia Muslims in Dhaka, Bangladesh, left at least one dead and 80 injured. No group has claimed responsibility for the explosions yet. According to AFP, the deceased was a 14-year-old boy, and one of the injured is in critical condition. An eyewitness reported hearing at least 'eight to ten small explosions' at the time of the incident. The three explosions occurred at the holiest religious site for Shia Muslims in Bangladesh, known as 'Hosseini Dalan,' which dates back to the 17th century. A local police official stated that two unexploded bombs were also found at the site, which was hosting around 20,000 people at the time of the incident. Shia Muslims in Bangladesh are not the only ones targeted by bombings and suicide attacks during the mourning days of Muharram; Shia Muslims in Pakistan also suffered at least 27 casualties from two suicide bombings last week. For instance, on Thursday, October 30, a suicide attack on a mosque in southwestern Pakistan resulted in the deaths of at least 11 Shia Muslims, including six children. Meanwhile, no one has been arrested in connection with the recent explosions in Bangladesh, but a police inspector told AFP that three individuals have been summoned for questioning. While the Shia minority in Bangladesh has been less frequently targeted by extremists, in the past two years, several Sufi Muslims have been killed as extremist militia activity has increased, and Christian and Hindu minorities have also faced attacks.