Bangladesh bomb kills two

The British High Commissioner was wounded by a bomb blast at a Muslim saint’s shrine in Bangladesh that killed two people today.

Anwar Choudhury – who took up his post earlier this month – was not believed to have been seriously injured.

The High Commissioner “has been injured in the bomb blast and we understand he is now in hospital,” said the British mission in Dhaka, the capital.

Reporters in Sylhet city, where the bomb went off, said Mr Choudhury, 44, was rushed to state-run Osmani Medical College Hospital, where doctors said his condition was not serious.

The Foreign Office in London confirmed the blast and Mr Choudhury’s injury.

“I am deeply shocked by the news of this bomb and I extend my sympathies to all the victims and their families,” British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said.

“Details of exactly what happened and the nature of the injuries are not clear,” he said adding, “We are grateful for the support we are receiving from the Bangladeshi authorities.”

An army helicopter was to fly Mr Choudhury to Dhaka.

No one claimed responsibility for the blast, which came during noon prayers at the Hazrat Shahjalal shrine in Sylhet, 120 miles north-east of Dhaka.

The explosion killed two Bangladeshi men and injured more than 40 other people, including senior government officials, police said.

Mr Choudhury, who was at the shrine for noon prayers, was born near Sylhet city, and moved to London as a child.

In January, a bomb exploded and killed five worshippers at the shrine. Police questioned 20 people after the blast but found no clues about the attack.

Mr Choudhury succeeded Dr David Carter as Britain’s envoy on May 3.

He previously worked in industry, the RAF, the British Ministry of Defence and the Cabinet Office.

He started his career as a design engineer.

This was followed by the RAF and the MoD where he managed a team of civilian scientists and senior military personnel.

As Assistant Director, he was responsible for developing Ministry of Defence’s strategies and policies aimed to bring about the integration of Defence systems within the MOD, NATO and allies.

He moved from the MoD to the Cabinet Office where he was Director of Policy in the Office of the e-Envoy. He was responsible for leading the vision and policy for UK government’s ambition to become a leading knowledge economy and the best place for e-government.

His main interests are in policy for radical change in government and the potential of the information revolution for the developing world economies.

He is married with two children, a son aged 10 and a daughter of 18 months. His hobbies include cricket, bridge and “an addiction for Bangladeshi cuisine”.