Incident Summary:
11/13/2010: On Saturday evening around 2015, in Taragunia, Kushtia, Bangladesh, three people were killed and a lawmaker was injured in a bomb attack at the residence of the ruling Awami League (AL) lawmaker Alfaz Uddin Ahmed. According to police, a suicide bomber detonated explosives inside the drawing room of Ahmed’s home, wounding Alfazuddin and killing the bomber and Asmat Ali, acting headmaster of Taragonia High School, instantly. Another injured victim, an Awami League activist, died on the way to the hospital. The specific motive for the attack is unknown; however, the attack came days after the some local leaders of fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami issued threats that the ruling Awami League would be exposed to danger unless their several stalwarts, faced with trial for crimes against humanity during 1971 Liberation War were not released. The attack caused an unknown amount of property damage and no group claimed responsibility for the incident. On 11/14/2010, police arrested five people in connection with the attack.
Overview
GTD ID:
201011130006
When:
2010-11-13
Country:
Bangladesh
Region:
South Asia
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Khulna
City:
Kushtia
Location Details:
The attack took place at a residence in Taragunia, Kushtia, Bangladesh.
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Bombing/Explosion |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Government (General) |
Name of Entity |
Awami League |
Specific Description |
Alfaz Uddin Ahmed, a lawmaker of the ruling party Awami League (AL), |
Nationality of Target |
Bangladesh |
Additional Information
Hostages |
No |
Ransom |
No |
Property Damage |
Yes |
Extent of Property Damage |
Minor (likely < $1 million) |
Value of Property Damage |
Unknown |
How
Weapon Information
Type |
Sub-type |
Explosives |
Suicide (carried bodily by human being) |
Weapon Details |
A suicide vest was used in the attack. |
Additional Information
Suicide Attack? | Yes |
Part of Multiple Incident? | No |
Criterion 1 () |
Yes |
Criterion 2 () |
Yes |
Criterion 3 () |
Yes |
Doubt Terrorism Proper () |
No |
Additional Information |
One of the deceased of the attack was identified as Asmat Ali, acting headmaster of Taragonia High School, the identity of the suicide bomber and the other Awami League activist is unknown. The available sources listed the time of the attack from 2015 to 2045, and the number of perpetrators arrested for this attack from five to 11, and because no majority figures were reported, the lowest proferred time of attack reported and number of perpetrators arrested were used in order to preserve statistical accuracy in the database. The most recent available sources listed the number of suicide bombers for this attack from one to two, and the injuries for this attack from one to two to three, so the majority number of suicide bombers and casualty figures reported have been used in order to preserve statistical accuracy in the database. |
Who
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
1 |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
5 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
3 Fatalities / 1 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
3 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
1 |
Total Number of Injured |
1 |
Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
Mu Xuequan, "Two Killed, Two Injured in Bomb Blast in Bangladesh,” Xinhua News Agency, November 14, 2010, http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-11/14/c_13605427.htm. |
Anisur Rahman, "Suicide Blast Kills Three in Western Bangladesh," LexisNexis Academic, Press Trust of India, November 13, 2010. |
United News of Bangladesh, "Five People Arrested in Connection With Bomb Blasts in AL MP's Daulatpur House," LexisNexis Academic, United News of Bangladesh, November 14, 2010. |
Criteria
Criteria 1
The act must be aimed at attaining a political, economic, religious, or social goal. In terms of economic goals, the exclusive pursuit of profit does not satisfy this criterion. It must involve the pursuit of more profound, systemic economic change.
Criterion 2
There must be evidence of an intention to coerce, intimidate, or convey some other message to a larger audience (or audiences) than the immediate victims. It is the act taken as a totality that is considered, irrespective if every individual involved in carrying out the act was aware of this intention. As long as any of the planners or decision-makers behind the attack intended to coerce, intimidate or publicize, the intentionality criterion is met.
Criterion 3
The action must be outside the context of legitimate warfare activities. That is, the act must be outside the parameters permitted by international humanitarian law (particularly the prohibition against deliberately targeting civilians or non-combatants.
Doubt Terrorism Proper
The existence of a "Yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper?" records reservation, in the eyes of GTD analysts, that the incident in question is truly terrorism. Such uncertainty, however, was not deemed to be sufficient to disqualify the incident from inclusion into the GTD. Furthermore, such a determination of doubt is subsequently coded by GTD analysts as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Alternate Designation
The determination of "yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper" by GTD analysts is coded as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Successful Attack
Success of a terrorist strike is defined according to the tangible effects of the attack. For example, in a typical successful bombing, the bomb detonates and destroys property and/or kills individuals, whereas an unsuccessful bombing is one in which the bomb is discovered and defused or detonates early and kills the perpetrators. Success is not judged in terms of the larger goals of the perpetrators. For example, a bomb that exploded in a building would be counted as a success even if it did not, for example, succeed in bringing the building down or inducing government repression.
Type of Attack
This field captures the general method of attack and often reflects the broad class of tactics used. It consists of the following nine categories:
- Assassination
- Armed Assault
- Unarmed Assault
- Bombing/Explosion
- Hijacking
- Hostage taking (Barricade Incident)
- Hostage taking (Kidnapping)
- Facility / Infrastructure Attack
- Unknown
Target Information
This field captures the general type of target. It consists of the following 22 categories:
- Abortion Related
- Airports & Airlines
- Business
- Government (General)
- Government (Diplomatic)
- Educational Institution
- Food or Water Supply
- Journalists & Media
- Maritime (includes Ports and Maritime facilities)
- Military
- NGO
- Other
- Police
- Private Citizens & Property
- Religious Figures/Institutions
- Telecommunication
- Terrorists
- Tourists
- Transportation (other than aviation)
- Unknown
- Utilities
- Violent Political Parties