At least one person has been killed and 50 others injured in a series of small bomb blasts across Bangladesh. Officials say more than 300 explosions took place simultaneously in 50 cities and towns across the country including the capital Dhaka. An outlawed Islamic group, Jamatul Mujahideen Bangladesh, says it carried out the attacks. Police say that more than 50 people have been arrested in connection with the blasts. Reports say many of the injured have been admitted to local hospitals, although most of the injuries are not life-threatening. The blasts caused panic across many cities leading to massive traffic jams. Reports say parents rushed to bring their children home from school. "It's an organised attack," said Home Minister Lutfozzaman Babor, adding that 58 of the country's 64 districts were affected. In each incident, bombs were set off in crowded spots, mainly at government offices, journalists' clubs and courts, between 1030 and 1130 local time. Mr Babor said timing devices were found at the scenes of blasts but most of the bombs were small, homemade devices - wrapped in tape or paper. The confirmed death was in the western town of Rajshahi, where doctors say a businessman died from wounds in an explosion.
Leaflets from the Jamatul Mujahideen Bangladesh have appeared at the site of some of the blasts. "It is time to implement Islamic law in Bangladesh" and "Bush and Blair be warned and get out of Muslim countries", the leaflets say. Early this year the Bangladesh government banned Jamatul Mujahideen and another group, Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh. They were accused of being behind a series of bomb blasts, including those at two local aid agencies - Grameen and Brac. The BBC's Roland Buerk in Dhaka said the banning was a major change in policy as the government had long insisted there was no threat from Islamic militancy.
