The 30-minute mayhem in the morning killed one in Chapainawabganj and injured over 100. Another boy was killed in a blast at Savar in the afternoon.

Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh, the banned militant group, claimed responsibility for the blasts through leaflets that left the countrymen in shock.

Panic gripped the country at the extent of the network of the terrorists who meticulously calculated the timing of the bombings between 11:00am and 11:30am, targeting government establishments, mainly the offices of the local district administrations and courts.

Only two hours after Prime Minister Khaleda Zia departed for China on a five-day official tour, a time bomb went off on the stairs inside Zia International Airport, showing a gaping hole in the security system. Three madrasa students and an imam of a mosque were picked up from the airport premises.

In the leaflets, in Bangla and Arabic, found with the bomb devices, Jama'atul, which was banned on February 23 this year, said: "It is time to implement Islamic law in Bangladesh. There is no future with man-made law."

Police randomly arrested at least 45 people including a Mujahideen leader in Satkhira for their suspected involvement in the attacks. Yesterday's attacks were only one in a series of blasts suspected to be carried out by Islamist militants in the last six years, all of which remain unearthed and their investigations halted midway.

Immediately after the blasts that spared only Munshiganj district, State Minister for Home Lutfozzaman Babar told journalists that the attacks were carried out by an well-organised group.

"It is not an isolated incident and done in an organised way with an objective," Babar said, but did not give details about the group.

"We had intelligence reports of some attacks between August 14 and16, but we had no information of attacks on August 17," he said. Later in the afternoon, he shifted from his position and said the attacks were totally unexpected and the government was in the dark. He also asked all not to panic.

In capital Dhaka, bombs exploded at 28 points including the high-security Bangladesh Secretariat, Supreme Court complex, the Prime Minister's Office, Dhaka Judges Court, Dhaka University, Dhaka Sheraton Hotel and Zia International Airport, Air Port rail station, a location close to the US embassy, police headquarters at Ramna, Hotel Sonargaon, Jatiya Press Club, New Market and the Bangladesh Bank.

The bombs, sealed in tin containers with electric circuit attached, were wrapped with scotch tape. The bombs were left in public places in packets or bags.

As they went off one after another, police forces rushed from one spot to the other, people started running for shelter not knowing what would come next. Rumours spread like fire and people tried their cell phones to get to know the situation of their relatives and friends.

As the militants played out their firepower, the capital was in the grip of panic and insecurity. Many offices closed down, markets pulled down shutters, the stock market stopped trading for about an hour as prices crashed and parents scrambled to bring home their children from school. Soon after noon, the traffic on the roads thinned out.

Paramilitary BDR, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and police forces were deployed across the country, while army troops were put on high alert at the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). Check posts have been erected and vehicles are being searched.

Army intelligence has started gathering information about the blasts with main attention on Jama'atul, sources said.

Jama'atul Mujahideen is a group, headed by Islamic extremist Dr Asadullah Ghalib, who is now in jail on charge of bombing some NGO offices including Brac and Grameen Bank. The group was once led by Bangla Bhai, the infamous Islamist militant who spread a reign of terror in the northern districts before he disappeared recently.

In Chapainawabganj, one person was killed and three others were injured in a series of near-simultaneous bomb blasts yesterday morning.

Rabiul Islam, a rickshawpuller of Swarupnagar in Sadar upazila, was critically injured when seven bombs exploded at about 11:10am at Biswa Road crossing near Shah Niamat Ullah College in the northern district town.

He succumbed to his injuries on way to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.

Three others injured in the explosion are -- Rabi Saha, a porter of Dariapur, Moti Rabi Das of Baliaghata and Ashok of Kalinagar.

"A youth aged about 20 years kept a tiny paper-made box near us and went away asking us to have a look on it for a while. Within a few minutes it went off," said Rabi Saha before he fainted at Chapainawabganj Sadar Hospital.

Six other bombs exploded almost simultaneously on the premises of District Judge Court, Bar and DC (deputy commissioner) office premises and New Market area in the town but no one was injured in the blasts.

A 10-year old school boy was killed while another child injured when six bombs exploded in Savar.

Savar police arrested one person in this connection.

The minor boy identified as Abdus Salam, 10, died after rush to the hospital when a bomb exploded in front of his house. A 3-year-old Anik was also injured seriously in the incident. Anik was under going treatment at a local clinic.

The bomb exploded at 3.00pm and he died at 6.00.

In Chittagong, bombs exploded at 16 city spots including the Chittagong Press Club and the Bangladesh Bank premises, court building and near the Kotwali Police Station, injuring six people. Law enforcers arrested four suspected persons with three bombs and 12 chocolate bombs. Police also recovered few abandoned live bombs from different spots.

A panicky situation has been prevailed in the entire city following the explosions.

Other places where bombs blasts occurred were: GEC Intersection, Kazir Dewri, Karnaphuli Shah Amanat Bridge, WASA Intersection, Lalkhan Bazaar, New Market, Muradpur, Sholoshahar, Bohaddarhat, Dewanhat, Kadamtali and Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) premises in Anderkilla.

Most of the bombs went off simultaneously with a big bang between 11:00am and 11:30am, excepting two spots at GEC Intersection and Kazir Dewri, where two bombs blew up at 9:45am and 10:30am injuring two.

The injured were identified as Delwar Hossain, 13, Abdul Hai, 32, Md Ismail, 12, and Habibur Rahman, 60. They were undergoing treatment at Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) and General Hospital. The identity of others couldn't be known until around 3:45pm.

Md Ismail, a mobile fruit vendor, got injured in front of a school just opposite to Press Club at around 11:00am. The bomb was kept in a shelf beneath his van.

Rab arrested four persons with three live bombs and 12 'chocolate' bombs from Kadamtali area under the Doublemooring Police Station.

They are Parimal Chandra, 30, of Patiya, Azizul Haq, 25, of Pahartali, Younus Khan, 47, of Anwara, and Joynal Abedin, 45, of Brahmanbaria.

In Rajshahi, at least 12 bombs went off at eight points --three on the court and DC office premises, one each at Kajla Gate of Rajshahi University, Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology, RDA Market, Laxmipur, New Market, Gourhanga crossing, Shalbagan Bazar, Naodapara areas.

One unexploded bomb was recovered at the DC office premises.

Police picked up five people for interrogation from the blast sites.

In Khulna, fifteen bombs were exploded in 13 places, but no one was hurt in the blasts.

Four persons were arrested from the city, but police did not disclose their names.

The entire city has been put on red alert and a huge number of armed police and members of Rab has been deployed at all key points and installations.

All madrasas have been cordoned by police and Rab.

In Sylhet, at least 15 bombs went off in the city yesterday morning while 3 live bombs were recovered from two places.

The series of blasts took place from 11:00am to 11:15am in the public places including five small and roadside shrines in the city. However, only three persons received splinter injuries and were admitted to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital.

A private car was seized at the city's Rikabibazar area as someone is said to have thrown a bomb from it, a police official said. The driver, Babul Miah, 30, has also been caught.

Of the injured, Habibullah, 35, of Biswanath, and Quamrul Islam Siddiqui, 20, of Sunamganj sustained minor wounds in their legs in the Judge court blast while Matilal Dhar, 25, of Lamabazar sustained injuries in his head at the Ambarkhana blast.

In Barisal, A series of bombs exploded at least 18 points of the city injuring four people. Seven live bombs were recovered from the blast spots.

Barisal Kotwali police detained three persons. They were Manir Howladar,30, Alauddin, 34, and Yunus,28.

TOP MINISTERS REVIEW SITUATION
Senior ministers yesterday sat in an emergency meeting to review the consequences of the countrywide blasts and decide what to do.

Finance Minister M Saifur Rahman, Health Minister Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain, LGRD Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Political Advisor to the prime minister Harris Chowdhury and State Minister for Home Lutfozzaman Babar attended the meeting held at Saifur's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar office.

Intelligence agencies briefed the ministers on yesterday's bomb blasts.

The meeting took some decisions about steps to take in the face of yesterday's incident.

Sudden terror dims the city midday Only half an hour into the explosions yesterday the entire city was seized by a whirling tumult of panic and speculations. Frightened citizens had no clue to what happened, but rumours were numerous.

Agencies admit their failure Intelligence and law enforcing agencies at a meeting with the state minister for home conceded their virtual failure to prevent the orchestrated countrywide bomb blasts yesterday, saying the incidents

How all hell broke loose Yesterday's near-simultaneous countrywide bomb blasts left a great many people -- from beggars to lawyers -- severely injured, petrified and shocked from such a close proximity to death.

Attacks were motivated by domestic issues Foreign analysts have commented that the series of explosions in Bangladesh were probably motivated more by domestic issues than international politics, but the government can no longer deny there isan

Leaflets ridicule democracy, ask for Islamic rule Bombers under the letterhead of outlawed Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) spread leaflets during serial bombings across the country yesterday with a demand for establishing Islamic rule, failingof

Patrons still defend Jama'atul BNP leaders of the North Bengal, who allegedly brought infamous Bangla Bhai in the limelight last year for their personal protection, refuse to admit that Bangla Bhai and Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh

Series of blasts poses lasting security threat Simultaneous bomb blasts across the country yesterday pose a long-term threat to the country's security system, said security analysts, adding that the incidents once again proved the incompetence ofintelligence

Blasts prove govt denials wrong Yesterday's countrywide organised bomb attacks once again proved futile the government's persistent denial of the existence of Islamist militant in the country and claim that it would not allow unlawful

Blasts rock dists More than a hundred people were injured in yesterday's series of bomb blasts in major cities and 63 district towns across the country.

Business another casualty of blasts He flew in to Dhaka all the way from the USA a couple of days ago and was scheduled to visit a garment factory in Chittagong last evening. But instead he caught the next flight to the USA.

Extensive search on roads after explosions Just after a series of bomb explosion rocked the capital yesterday, the law enforcing agencies started extensive search of vehicles blocking city streets and roads at different points.

Govt press note assures people of protection The government, in a press note yesterday, assured the people that it was determined to protect their lives and property and urged them not to panic.

AL, allies call hartal for Saturday The main opposition Awami League (AL) and its allies have called a countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal on Saturday, blaming the government for yesterday's bomb blasts across the country.

PM condemns attack Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has strongly condemned the bomb attacks in the country, including the capital city Dhaka.

Weak bombs meant to send terror message The bombs that exploded yesterday across the country were not powerful and the explosions were meant to send the message of the Jam'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh to establish Islamic rule in the countryrather

Condemnation from foreign countries New Delhi expressed concern over the scale and co-ordination of the bomb attacks in Bangladesh while China, the US Embassy and the British High Commission in Dhaka have strongly condemned the series of

Babar changes statement on attack info State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfozzaman Babar has shifted from his previous statement of having prior intelligence reports about subversive activities and now says that they had no idea about such

BNP asks not to politicise blasts The LGRD minister and BNP secretary general yesterday asked all not to politicise yesterday's blasts as he said the incidents will be probed and the bombers identified in four days.

Hasina points her accusing finger at PM, govt Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina yesterday squarely blamed the prime minister and her government for the series of bomb blasts across the country.

6 picked up in city Police yesterday picked up six persons, five of them hafez (one who has memorised the Holy Qur'an), from Ramna and airport areas in the capital on suspicion of their involvement in yesterday's countrywide

Bomb blasts halt courts' proceedings All the proceedings of the Dhaka courts were suspended yesterday after a series of bomb blasts rocked the courts' premises and other places in the city.