In another act of violence targeting a Hindu place of worship, a temple was bombed by a masked man in Cumilla city late Saturday evening. The priest was injured after the crude bomb explosion at the Kali Gachhtala Shiv Mandir. The attack occurred during the weekly Shani Puja at the temple. Three others were injured in two similar explosions on the road near the temple.
Eyewitnesses and CCTV footage captured the harrowing sequence of events around 6:28 p.m. on March 7. A masked man, carrying a suspicious bag, entered the temple premises in the South Thakurpara (Baganbari) area, where a group of devotees, including women and children, were gathered for prayers. He placed the bag near the altar and fled the scene on foot. Moments later, the improvised explosive device detonated, shattering the serene atmosphere and sending worshippers scrambling for safety.
Masked man bombed Kali Gachhtala Mandir during Shani Puja in Cumilla, Bangladesh.
— Angry Saffron (@AngrySaffron) March 8, 2026
CCTV footage showed him entering with a bag, leaving it inside while others stood nearby, and fleeing before the blast injured priest and two devotees.
No arrests reported.@UNHumanRights pic.twitter.com/ZDt2xiqxMW
The blast critically injured the temple’s priest, Keshob Chakraborty, who was performing rituals at the time. Video footage from the temple’s surveillance camera shows the masked man weaving through the crowd under the glow of temple lights before the explosion lit up the night.
After some time, two additional cocktail bombs were hurled by miscreants and detonated on the nearby road, adjacent to a Buddhist temple and a local BRAC office. These secondary blasts wounded A Barek, son of Sujat Ali, a resident of Thakurpara Baganbari, and Jihad, son of Nazrul Islam, both from the vicinity.
The injured were rushed to Cumilla General and Medical College Hospital for treatment, with Priest Chakraborty listed in stable but serious condition due to burns and shrapnel wounds. The two victims from the roadside blasts received primary care at Cumilla Sadar Hospital and were discharged after initial stabilization.
Local police have launched an investigation, but no arrests have been made as of Sunday morning. OC Kotwali Model Police Station, Md Touhidul Anwar, said, “We have collected CCTV footage from the scene. The matter is under investigation. It is not possible to say right now why or who carried out the crude explosions. However, operations are ongoing to arrest those involved.” Cumilla Superintendent of Police (SP) Md Anisuzzaman visited the scene shortly after the incident. He said that police are working to uncover the real cause behind the incident and arrest those responsible.
