10 injured in crude bomb attack on temple in Bangladesh

At least 10 people were injured today when unidentified assailants hurled three crude bombs inside the premises of a temple in northern Bangladesh where over 5,000 people had gathered for a show to mark a Hindu festival, the latest assault in the country hit by attacks by Islamists.

The people were witnessing an open-air show organised to mark the Rash Mela festival when three crude bombs exploded inside the premises of Kantaji Temple in northwestern Dinajpur.

In the attack, at least 10 people were injured and most of them suffered splinter injuries, police said.

Police detained seven people for questioning in connection with the incident, police said.

Six of the injured were rushed to Dinajpur Medical College and Hospital, local media reports said.

Kantaji Temple is a government maintained archaeological site but Hindus also perform their rituals and thousands of people, including Muslims, gather during the annual Rash Mela.

The temple, located in the northern district's Kaharol Upazila, is also a tourist attraction for its brick and terracotta style architecture.

The temple was built at Kantanagar not far from the bank of the River Dhepa by Dinajpur's rulers, with construction commissioned by Maharaja Prannath in 1704 and completed during the reign of his adopted successor Maharaja Ramnath some decades later.

Authorities closed down the annual festival following the attack, which comes within 15 days of an attack on an Italian priest in the district.

Security has been beefed up in the area, but the police are yet to identify those behind the attack.

Bangladesh has seen several violent incidents in recent months, including attacks on foreigners and secular bloggers claimed by the the Islamic State, although the government says the attacks have been carried out by local Islamist radical groups.

The attacks have alarmed the international community and raised concerns that religious extremism is growing in the traditionally moderate South Asian nation.