Bangladesh fears more bomb attacks

Bangladesh, already hit by a string of deadly bomb attacks by suspected Islamic militants, is bracing for more violence as it prepares for two religious festivals this month.

Two people were killed and about 25 others injured in the latest attacks on Monday when several bombs ripped through court buildings in three Bangladesh towns.

Widespread bomb attacks on August 17 left two people killed and about 125 others injured. No group claimed responsibility for the attacks, but suspicion has fallen on Islamic militants seeking to establish strict Islamic rule in Bangladesh, an impoverished, Muslim-majority nation governed by secular laws.

Many of more than 400 people arrested after the blasts allegedly belong to the banned Islamic group Jumatul Mujahideen Bangladesh, authorities said.

They said leaflets from the banned group were found at all sites of the August 17 bomb blasts.

The attackers may target next week’s Hindu festival of goddess Durga and the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan.