Casepin
Back to cases

Case file

2004 Shah Jalal Bombing

SOLVED2004Shah Jalal Shrine, Sylhet, Bangladesh3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026

Documents violence · ongoing investigation — written to inform, not to shock.

Illustrative

Background

The Shah Jalal Shrine is a roughly 700-year-old Sufi religious site in Sylhet, Bangladesh. Anwar Choudhury, then the British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, is a Bangladeshi-born British citizen whose ancestral home was Sylhet. On 21 May 2004 he visited the shrine, offered prayers, and greeted members of the public who had gathered to see him. Notably, the shrine had already been the target of a bombing earlier that year, in January 2004, in which five people were killed.

The Attack

While Choudhury was speaking with people at the shrine, a grenade was thrown at him. It struck him in the stomach but did not detonate on impact; instead it bounced off and rolled to the feet of the Deputy Commissioner, where it exploded. The blast killed three people, including a police officer, and injured Choudhury.

Trial and Outcome

The attack was attributed to Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami, a militant group. Investigators traced the components of the grenades used to Afghanistan, and police stated the motive was to avenge the deaths of Muslims in Iraq and elsewhere attributed to actions by the United States and Britain. In 2008, three men were sentenced to death for the bombing: Mufti Abdul Hannan, the leader of Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami Bangladesh, along with Sharif Shahedul Alam Bipul and Delwar Hossain (alias Ripon). The British High Commission welcomed the conclusion of the trial but stated its opposition to the death penalty. Hannan and his two co-defendants were hanged on 13 April 2017.

Reactions

Following the attack, then British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw issued a statement expressing shock and extending sympathy to victims and their families, while noting that details of what had happened and the nature of injuries were still unclear. He also acknowledged support being received from Bangladeshi authorities. Bangladesh's then Prime Minister, Khaleda Zia, condemned the attack and offered her sympathies to those affected.

Key facts

Victims
Anwar Choudhury
Date
2004
Location
Shah Jalal Shrine, Sylhet, Bangladesh
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2004-01

    The Shah Jalal Shrine in Sylhet was bombed, resulting in the deaths of five people.

  2. 2004-05-21

    British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury was injured in a grenade attack at the Shah Jalal Shrine; a bystander/police officer and others were killed.

  3. 2008

    Three men, including Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami leader Mufti Abdul Hannan, were sentenced to death for the attack.

  4. 2017-04-13

    Mufti Abdul Hannan, Sharif Shahedul Alam Bipul, and Delwar Hossain (alias Ripon) were hanged for their roles in the bombing.

Best coverage

No approved coverage links are attached yet.

People

  • Mufti Abdul Hannan

    CONVICTED

    Leader of Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami Bangladesh; sentenced to death in 2008 and executed in 2017 for organizing the bombing

    citation on file

  • Delwar Hossain

    CONVICTED

    Also known as Ripon; sentenced to death in 2008 and executed in 2017 for involvement in the bombing

    citation on file

  • Sharif Shahedul Alam Bipul

    CONVICTED

    Sentenced to death in 2008 and executed in 2017 for involvement in the bombing

    citation on file

  • Anwar Choudhury

    VICTIM

    British High Commissioner to Bangladesh; injured in the grenade attack

    citation on file

Places

Shah Jalal Shrine, Sylhet, Bangladesh

24.9023, 91.8661

View on the map

Common questions

What happened to the victim?
A grenade attack at the Shah Jalal Shrine in Sylhet, Bangladesh, on 21 May 2004 injured British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury and killed bystanders, including a police officer. The attack was carried out by Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami; three men, including group leader Mufti Abdul Hannan, were later convicted and executed.
Where did the bombing happen?
Shah Jalal Shrine, Sylhet, Bangladesh.
Who was convicted?
Mufti Abdul Hannan (Leader of Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami Bangladesh; sentenced to death in 2008 and executed in 2017 for organizing the bombing), Delwar Hossain (Also known as Ripon; sentenced to death in 2008 and executed in 2017 for involvement in the bombing), and Sharif Shahedul Alam Bipul (Sentenced to death in 2008 and executed in 2017 for involvement in the bombing).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.

Sources

  1. 2004 Shah Jalal bombingwikipedia · Wikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. Contemporaneous coverage — BBC Newsnews · BBC News · 2026-07-07
  3. Contemporaneous coverage — The Guardiannews · The Guardian · 2026-07-07
More cases in Bangladesh