Daily Star Report on April 17,2001

Batamul tragedy> Daily Star Editorial

Pahela Baishakh blast>Opinion of A H Jaffor Ullah from New Orleans

Police hunt for two, DB interrogating Shadhin > Police said yesterday they are looking for two young men named Akhter and Rezaul who, along with the four arrested on Sunday, reportedly came to Ramna Batamul just before Saturday's bomb explosion there.... [for details see Daily Star]

Shilpi still unconscious, her actual diagnosis yet to start > Amena Akhtar Shilpi, injured in the Ramna Batamul bomb explosion on Saturday, is fighting for life at hospital.... [for details see Daily Star]

Fundamentalist forces directly involved, says Home Minister > Home Minister Mohammad Nasim has identified political patronage and delayed trial of the culprits as reasons behind recurrence of bomb attacks in the country....[for details see Daily Star]

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Daily Star Report on April 16,2001

Pahela Baishakh blast> Daily Star Editorial

Shuva nobo borsho, or is it? > Daily Star Subeditorial by Dr. AR Choudhury

Carnage at Ramna Batamul > Traditional Bangla New Year celebrations turned into a gory tale of deaths on Saturday, when a devastating bomb explosion left seven people killed on the spot, and at least 20 injured at Ramna Batamul... [for details see Daily Star]

Sense of insecurity prevails > Despite four incidents of powerful bomb explosions that killed 33 people in the country in last two years, the law enforcing agencies have failed to come up with the leads or heads in three of the incidents....[for details see Daily Star]

Barbaric act: President Resist evil forces: PM > President Shahabuddin Ahmed visited the Dhaka Medical College Hospital Saturday afternoon to see the persons injured in the bomb explosion at Ramna Batamul....[for details see Daily Star]

Punish them, they're worse than beasts: Khaleda > BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has condemned the bomb explosion at the Pahela Baishakh function at Ramna Battmul that killed nine people and wounded many....
[for details see Daily Star]

Celebrations turn into protests > Traditional fanfare and merrymaking centring Pahela Baishakh, the Bengali New Year was marred by a bomb explosion at the heart of the celebrations in the city Saturday morning, which claimed nine lives.... [for details see Daily Star]

DB picks up a suspect > Police arrested a young man from Dakkhinpara of Matuail in Demra on Saturday suspecting his involvement in the bomb explosion at Ramna Batamul that killed nine people and wounded 20 others.... [for details see Daily Star]

Imams and Pahela Baishakh > Imams at some mosques in the city asked devotees during last Friday's congregation not to join the Bangla New Year celebration, saying it did not represent the country's culture....
[for details see Daily Star]

Identities of 7 dead > Bodies of seven out of the nine persons killed in the bomb explosion at the Ramna Batamul in the city on Saturday have been identified and handed over to their relatives....[for details see Daily Star]

Victims being treated > Twelve of the injured in bomb explosion at Ramna Batamul on Saturday are now under treatment at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) at Dhaka cantonment.... [for details see Daily Star]

Prompt probe should offset vigilance deficit > Will the mystery behind the Batamul killings be unravelled in an unalloyed manner? That's the question that raced across the public mind once the news of the carnage reached them.... [for details see Daily Star]

Who was in charge? > As riot police cordoned off the Ramna batamul area, scene of the deadly bomb explosion, it was not clear which agency of the state was in-charge there... [for details see Daily Star]

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Nine men were killed in a bomb explosion at Ramna Batomul (the root of a banyan tree) in Dhaka yesterday (Pohela Baishakh,1408) during a cultural show of Chhayanaut. 25 others were injured and were admitted to Dhaka Medical College. The Victims were not identified. As ETV last news headline, 10 wounded people are now in Combined Military Hospital.

A second blast about 45 minutes later injured a police officer who was trying to defuse a bomb he found in Ramna Park. An army bomb disposal squad was called in to detonate a third device found in the park after it was cordoned off.

Like all other years a grand cultural show was arranged at Ramna Batomul to celebrate the advent of Bangla New Year. Tens of thousands of people gathered at Ramna Park area to participate in the annual celebration. For last 34 years Chhayanat is going on arranging cultural shows every first day of Bangla New Years. This year the show was blood-stained which turned the auspicious day to a sad one. The show started in the early morning (6 AM) according to the tradition. It was being telecasted by BTV and ETV. A space was kept in front of the stage for security purpose. People sat centering the stage enjoying songs by singers of Chhayanat. At the end of the show a singer named Fancy started the famous song " Eki oporup rupey maa tomaay herinu polli jononi". Suddenly the bomb blast was heard at he southwest side of the stage. The announcer first announced that everything was all right and the program would go on. Immediately he announced that men were killed at a bomb blast. Gradually the venue became deserted as people left the place.

Panicked men, women and children were running and screaming. Some helped police to take the wounded to hospitals either by ambulance or rickshaws.

No quarters claimed the responsibilities. A Probe Committee was formed at PM's directives. Inspector General Nurul Huda said police were trying to determine who was behind the explosions in central Dhaka, where 2,000 revelers gathered to bring in the Bengali New Year.

A police official investigating the blasts, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the main explosion was triggered by a timing device. Another officer, however, said one of the men who was killed was carrying the bomb, which went off prematurely.

New Year Celebration was normal elsewhere in the city though there was a tone of sadness everywhere. A protest rally was arranged at Fine Arts Institute of Dhaka University in that dayevening .

Prime Minster Sheikh Hasina condemned the brutal bomb attack on cultural show. She told that the attack was done by those who do not believe in Bangalee culture and cannot stand the independence and sovereignty.

Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia strongly condemned the killing. She told that those who can kill people on an auspicious day like Pahela Baishakh are worse than beasts. BNP staged a rally in protest of the bomb attack on cultural show today in Dhaka.