A blast ripped through the locked living quarters of an imam at a mosque in Madaripur, damaging the tin walls and roof and destroying furniture and other belongings inside. No injuries or deaths were reported, but the incident has raised questions among local residents about how an explosive device may have entered a room that had reportedly remained locked.
The explosion occurred at Al-Aqsa Jame Mosque at the house of Malek Akon in Hogolpatia village, under Madaripur Sadar upazila. The incident took place shortly after Asr prayers, when worshippers had already left the mosque and returned home.
According to local residents and police, mosque imam Mohammad Akash had gone home on leave two days before the incident. His room was subsequently kept locked, with the keys reportedly held by several members of the mosque committee.
On the day of the explosion, worshippers attended the Asr prayer as usual. After the prayer ended, they left the mosque. A short while later, residents heard a loud explosion coming from the imam’s locked room.
Alarmed by the sound, people from the surrounding area rushed to the mosque. They found part of the tin roofing blown away and sections of the tin wall damaged. Furniture and other items kept inside the room had also been burnt.
The circumstances surrounding the blast have prompted speculation among residents. Some locals believe an explosive device may have been placed inside the room beforehand. However, there is no confirmed information yet about what caused the explosion, who may have placed any explosive there or what their motive might have been.
Several people, speaking on condition of anonymity, alleged that the explosive was placed inside the mosque as part of a plan linked to a possible clash over local influence involving members of the Akon family. They called for those responsible to be identified and brought to justice.
Hakim Akon rejected the allegation. He said they had no knowledge of who had placed an explosive inside the mosque and suggested that someone could have deliberately staged the incident to implicate them. He called for a proper investigation by the authorities to establish what actually happened.
Malek Akon, a member of the mosque committee, also said they did not know who had placed the explosive in the imam’s room. He pointed out that the consequences could have been far more serious had the blast occurred while worshippers were inside the mosque for prayers.
Police have begun examining the incident and collecting evidence from the scene. Madaripur Sadar Police Station officer-in-charge Mohammad Abul Kalam Azad said officers had visited the site after receiving information about the explosion.
He said investigators would determine who had placed the suspected explosive and why. Police are also examining whether the incident was connected to any act of sabotage.
The officer said the evidence recovered from the scene, along with the nature of the blast, was being examined to establish the actual cause. He stressed that it would be premature to reach a conclusion about the motive or identify those responsible before the investigation is completed.
The fact that the imam’s room was reportedly locked at the time of the explosion has become a key point in the investigation. Authorities will need to establish how the explosive, if confirmed, came to be inside the room and whether anyone had access to it before the blast.
For now, police have not confirmed the nature of the explosive or established responsibility for the incident. The investigation is continuing.
