A bomb exploded in a slum near Nilphamari Government College, leaving Raihan Akhter Moon, 7, son of Mosharraf Hossain, and Rezaul Islam, 6, son of Dulal Hossain, critically injured. Police recovered seven more bombs from the spot.

The law enforcers also recovered two powerful bombs from a paddy field in Dinajpur, one from in front of a school in Chittagong and another from Sirajganj.

The militants threatened to blow up the official residence of Bangladesh Bank governor in the capital, a number of educational institutions across the country and student hostels including Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall of Dhaka University.

Meanwhile, the Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) yesterday sent letters threatening to kill the deputy commissioners (DC) of Habiganj, Dinajpur and Panchagarh and five upazila nirbahi officers (UNO) in Dinajpur.

THREAT TO GOVERNOR HOUSE
An anonymous caller yesterday threatened to blow up the official residence of Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Salehuddin Ahmed in Gulshan-2 area in Dhaka.

The phone threat was received at the governor's residence at about 11:00am, police said.

"Someone threatened over telephone to blow up the house," General Manager of the central bank's Security Management Division Maj (retd) MA Hossain told UNB.

"I've taken necessary preparation," he said, adding that he informed high police officials, including the inspector general of police, and the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) about it.

Security patrol has been beefed up in the area, the police said.

NILPHAMARI
Raihan and Rezaul of College Para slum found eight bombs wrapped with blue tapes under a concrete bench on the bank of a pond while collecting dried leaves on the Nilphamari Government College premises, the principal of the college said.

Taking the heavy things something "valuable", the two boys took the bombs to the slum and engaged in a fight over its share. During the scuffle, one bomb dropped on the ground and exploded with a loud bang, the locals said.

The seriously injured boys were admitted to Nilphamari Sadar Adhunik Hospital, reports our Nilphamari correspondent.

The huge bang triggered panic among the college students as well as the slum dwellers. Four students suffered minor injuries while trying to come out of classrooms in a hurry hearing the sound of explosion.

The police recovered seven bombs from the site of explosion and searched the pond and its adjacent areas to see if there were more.

Visiting the site, our correspondent found that pointed pebbles were used as splinters in the bomb. Superintendent of Police (SP) of Nilphamari Shoeb Ahmed told the press that it is too early to make any comment about the nature of the bomb.

Security has been beefed up in the town.

The JMB earlier threatened to blow up the Nilphamari Government Boys High School and Chilahati Merchant High School.

SATKHIRA
Our Khulna correspondent reports: Four farmers were harvesting in a field in Alaipur area under Tala upazila of the district at about 10:30am when some unidentified persons from a speedy motorbike hurled a bomb at them.

The farmers escaped any harm as they ran for cover.

The police said they suspected that the miscreants exploded the bomb from a long distance for experiment.

CHITTAGONG
A powerful bomb was recovered in front of the Railway Polo Ground High School near the Tiger Pass in the port city yesterday morning.

Some passers-by saw the bomb around 100 yards off the school at about 9:15am and informed the police.

At 12:20pm a Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) team defused the bomb by slashing the wire fixed on it and took it to their office.

“The bomb has no timer device on it but its ingredients seem powerful,” said a Rab official.

SIRAJGANJ
Locals found a live bomb in front of the Hazrat Fatematuzzohra Hafizia Qwami Women's Madrasa at around 6:00am yesterday.

A team of Sirajganj police and firefighters defused the five-inch long bomb after one hour of hectic efforts and brought it to the Sirajganj Police Station.

DINAJPUR
The police recovered two powerful time-bombs from a paddy field in Bochaganj upazila in the district yesterday morning after locals found them, our Dinajpur correspondent said.

The police later defused the bombs.

Meanwhile, the JMB issued death threat through letters to the DC of Dinajpur and five UNOs in the district. The letter asked the DC to transfer the UNOs of Nabanganj, Birampur, Hakimpur, Chirirbandar and Phulbari upazilas within December 24, otherwise all UNO offices will be blown up within December 30.

PANCHAGARH
The JMB sent a threat letter to DC Azhar Ali, asking him to release all the JMB men arrested in the district within three days.

The letter also said if any JMB men is arrested again, it will blow up the DC and if he fails to release the arrested JMB activists, they will shoot him down with AK47.

SHERPUR
Nalitabari police arrested a JMB member named Mohammad Wahiduzzaman alias Daksu, 42, of Bhati Baratia village under Nakli upazila of Kishoreganj district, from Garkanda area, said news agency BDNEWS.

MEHERPUR
The JMB yesterday threatened to blow up the Habiganj DC office if arresting the militants continues, said BDNEWS.

Meanwhile, Meherpur police yesterday arrested JMB cadre Jamal Uddin of Sunamganj district on a Dhaka-bound bus from Meherpur.

MAGURA
The police on Wednesday night caught suspected JMB cadre Shawkat Ali, 22, son of Badrul Alam Bakul, at his residence in Aksi village of Magura sadar upazila. Shawkat was produced before a court yesterday with a seven-day remand prayer.

NOAKHALI
The police on Wednesday night held suspected JMB members Yusuf, 25, Abu Zafar, 27, Omar Faruq, 32, and Rezaul Karim, 27, from Begumganj.

BOGRA
The police arrested two JMB suspects--Hafez Mozammel Haq and Mamunur Rashid--in the town on Wednesday night and yesterday noon. Rashid claimed to be the imam of Barapukuria mosque in Dinajpur.

TRAINING GROUND IN BOTANICAL GARDEN
The JMB used the Botanical Garden in Dhaka as a ground for military training under the guise of physical exercise and morning walk, reports our Chittagong correspondent.

The information came out during the interrogation of five JMB activists arrested from Dhaka on Wednesday night.

Dhaka police held the five--Nazrul Islam Rubel alias Jewel, 26, Abdur Rahman, 45, Farhad alias Nasim, 28, Mohammad Hasan, 37, and Kamal Uddin, 40--following information provided by JMB men Akash and Mithu arrested in Chittagong.

Quoting the five, police sources said Rubel, who hails from Jamalpur and is a martial art expert with black belt, used to train the JMB military wing activists under the guise of physical exercise in the Botanical Garden everyday in the morning and afternoon.

They said Rubel, who was held from a mess at Pallabi in the capital, joined the JMB as a trainer about a year ago.

Nasim is the younger brother of top JMB leader Jahirul Islam while Hasan is Nasim's brother-in-law, the police said.

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS THREATENED
A JMB letter yesterday threatened the authorities of Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall of Dhaka University not to allow their students to sit around the hall at night.

A letter from JMB and Harkatul Jihad yesterday asked the principal of Satkhira Women's College to introduce madrasa education in the institution and threatened to blow up the college hostel.

Another letter sent to the headmistress of Bogra Government High School allegedly by JMB operations commander Mohammad Musa accused her of not paying any importance to Ismalic studies and asked her to close down the school activities.

The JMB yesterday threatened to blow up the Pabna Alia Madrasa and its students' hostels with bombs. The threat gripped the students and teachers with panic.