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Ten people were killed Sunday and 12 others injured, some seriously, when a bomb exploded in a church at Baniarchar village in Gopalganj district, some 100 km from here, where people had assembled for Sunday mass prayer.
According to district administration sources the initial report said nine were dead and 13 injured. One of the injured later succumbed to his injury, they said adding the toll is likely to rise.
Gopalganj is one of the few districts in Bangladesh having a sizeable Christian population, who are otherwise a very insignificant minority.
An official of the district contacted by phone said Banairachar is a Christian majority village and is well off compared to some neighbouring villages where Muslims are in majority.
Incidentally, it is also home district of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
According to a district official reached by phone, the blast took place around 8 am (local time).
This is a major bomb blast after the incident on Bengali new year day (April 14) in the capital in which 10 people were killed. The bombing were blamed to be the work of Muslim fundamentalist groups.
BSS news agncy said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who was informed of the blast ordered the police to find out the culprits. She instructed to ensure proper treatment of the injured.
In last July, bombs were discovered near the venue of public meeting in Gopalganj only a few hours before Hasina was to address a meeting. Islamic fundamentalist elements were suspected to be behind the attempt to assassinate her.
(PTI)
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