2 policemen hurt as BD minister’s car attacked

DHAKA: Two policemen were injured as a crude bomb exploded next to a Bangladeshi minister’s car on a capital Dhaka street on Saturday night, a local police official said Sunday morning.

The explosion left two policemen injured. Police were not sure who was behind the blast, a Dhaka Metropolitan Politan (DMP) official said.

U.S.-based monitoring site, SITE Intelligence said in a Twitter post Sunday “IS (Islamic State) claims credit for bomb blast on police in Bangladesh capital.”

Six policemen were escorting Local Government, Rural Development Minister Tazul Islam while he was on way to a program of Bangladesh border force — Border Guard Bangladesh(BGB, formerly known as BDR ) when the bomb explosion happened, the DMP official said.

Quoting eyewitnesses, he said the bomb was thrown most likely from a footbridge at an intersection in the city’s Science Lab area at around 9:20 p.m. local time Saturday night. Minister Tazul was unhurt in his car, he added.

Both the injured, Assistant Sub-Inspector Shahabuddin and Constable Aminul, were rushed to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Shahabuddin reportedly suffered injuries to his leg while Aminul to his hand.