Bangladesh violence: 2 bombs found
Powell: A heinous act to undermine democracy
DHAKA, Bangladesh (CNN) -- Bangladesh police have recovered two bombs in the capital, Dhaka -- one of them similar to grenades used in Saturday's assassination attempt on the country's former prime minister, which killed 19 and wounded over 300 others.
One of the explosive devices was found in a market on Sunday, and the other inside the city's central jail, sources said.
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell released a statement Sunday condemning the violence and expressing "steadfast support for Bangladesh's democracy."
"The perpetrators of this heinous act clearly intend to undermine democracy in Bangladesh. They must not succeed," Powell said.
On Saturday, several grenades exploded near former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina as she concluded a speech at an opposition party rally in Dhaka, police and eyewitnesses said.
Hasina survived the attack with some hearing impairment from the high-decibel blasts, according to doctors who examined the opposition leader.
An official with the Awami League party, led by Hasina, said the former prime minister was the target of the attack.
An angry mob protested the attack Sunday by setting an inter-city train on fire in Bhairab, just north of the capital, suspending train service between Dhaka and Chittagong.
Witnesses said 17 railway passengers and three firemen were injured during the violent demonstration. Authorities deployed paramilitary troops to the area to control the situation, officials said.
Video of Saturday's attack showed Hasina standing on the low stage, closely surrounded by party officials and journalists on the stage with hundreds of supporters crowded nearby.
The first grenade exploded just in front of the stage near where TV cameras were set up to record the rally.
As the crowd stampeded down streets away from the initial blast, other explosions were heard.
Police said at least six grenades detonated and one was found unexploded.
The rally was being held on a street near the Awami League's Dhaka headquarters.
As Hasina entered a bullet-proof Mercedes Benz to escape the blast site, unidentified gunmen fired at least 11 shots in a second assassination bid. Hasina's personal security guard Mahbub Alam, who acted as a human shield to save Hasina, died from a bullet injury.
Hasina's car bears these 10 bullet marks of which at least three punctured its rear tires.
Awami League's Women's Affairs Secretary Ivy Rahman was critically wounded in one of the blasts, according to doctors. Rahman, wife of Awami League presidium member Zillur Rahman MP, had both her legs amputated as a result of her injuries.
Awami League is enforcing general strikes in many cities Sunday, and the league's student wing has called for an indefinite strike in all of Bangladesh's educational institutions on Monday to protest the assassination attempt.
Journalist Tasneem Khalil in Dhaka contributed to this story
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Associated Press contributed to this report.
