At least three people, including a temple priest, were injured in a cocktail explosion in front of a temple near a mosque in the Thakurpara Bagan Bari area of the town on Saturday evening.

Among the injured were Keshab Chakraborty, a priest of the Baganbari Kaligachtala Temple, and Abdul Barek, a resident of the Baganbari area.

Video footage shows that Shani Puja was underway at the temple around 6:30 pm. Some women and priests were performing the puja when a teenager was seen running from the west towards Salauddin Hotel. Within a few seconds, an explosion occurred at the temple, and a fire broke out immediately.

Md Ibrahim Khalil, a local shopkeeper in the Baganbari area, said, “I was closing my shop and going home with my child. As soon as I moved forward a little, I heard a loud explosion. It felt like my eardrums were going to burst.”

He added that many worshippers were leaving after finishing their Maghrib prayers and everyone ran to take shelter in nearby buildings. Three or four miscreants were seen running towards the east.

Injured Abdul Barek said, “I was leaving the mosque after prayers. At that time, there was a loud noise. Suddenly, I felt like something had fallen on my feet, but I did not see anyone.”

Tapas Bakshi, general secretary of the Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council, Cumilla, said the incident could have been an attack aimed at destroying communal harmony. “Police have seized some evidence. A Chinese axe and a bag have been recovered from the scene. We demand a fair investigation into the incident,” he said.

Shyamal Krishna Saha, president of the Puja Front Cumilla Metropolitan, said the attack was carried out with the aim of disrupting harmony.

He said there are several sensitive places in the area, including a Buddhist temple, two Hindu temples and a mosque, and the cocktail explosion targeted the location.

Cumilla Police Superintendent Md Anisuzzaman said the attack was carried out by individuals who made provocative statements on social media. Three people, including a temple priest and a passerby, were injured in the incident.

Efforts are underway to arrest those involved as soon as possible, he said.