Arson, crude bombs and more: Why has violence gripped Bangladesh again?

Violence has erupted in parts of Bangladesh again. Crude bomb and arson attacks were reported in the capital, Dhaka, and other parts of the country ahead of a special tribunal’s announcement of the verdict date in a case against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The 78-year-old leader was ousted from power in August last year following a student-led uprising. She is wanted in her country on charges of “crimes against humanity” and other offences.

Let’s take a closer look.

Violence rocks Bangladesh

Bangladesh has been on the edge in recent days. Dhaka has reported a spate of arson and crude bomb attacks, stoking fears of unrest.

Two crude bombs exploded near the metro station of Dhaka University’s TSC area on Wednesday (November 12) night, injuring at least three people, as per reports in Bangladeshi media.

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Around the same time, another crude bomb explosion took place outside a shopping complex in the capital, reported The Business Standard.

The incidents caused panic and disrupted a documentary screening on the “fascist regime”, as per The Daily Star.

Multiple arson attacks were also witnessed in Dhaka and other cities in Bangladesh.
Unidentified miscreants set fire to a single-storey Grameen Bank branch in Brahmanbaria on Wednesday. Furniture and important documents were destroyed in the blaze, Md Kalim Uddin, the branch manager, told The Daily Star.

Muhammad Yunus, who is currently the Chief Adviser of the interim government, founded the Grameen Bank in 1983.

A train’s coach in Dhaka’s Tejgaon was torched last night. Two people were caught by locals and handed over to the police in connection with the incident.

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Four buses were set ablaze in Gazipur and Ashulia’s Sarkar Market in the capital yesterday. As per The Daily Star, the police suspect the arson attack in Dhaka may be linked to the banned Awami League’s call for “Dhaka Lockdown” on Thursday.

Several vehicles were also set on fire in Munshiganj, Tangail and Gopalganj overnight. A running passenger bus was torched on the Dhaka–Tangail highway around 1:00 am Thursday. However, no casualties were reported, as per Prothom Alo.

Six petrol bombs and four cocktails were seized by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB-2) from the Martyred Intellectuals Memorial area in Rayerbazar, Dhaka. It is suspected that the explosives were part of a plan to carry out sabotage during the Awami League’s lockdown, reported Dhaka Tribune.

‘Dhaka lockdown’

Leaders of Hasina’s party, the Awami League, which called for ‘Dhaka Lockdown’ today (November 13), blocked the Dhaka-Bhanga expressway in Shariatpur’s Zajira, disrupting traffic on the Padma Bridge.

A truck was set on fire at Tastar Kandi in Nawdoba in Dhaka early on Thursday, which was brought under control by fire service personnel. Two passenger buses were vandalised and crude explosions also occurred, reported Prothom Alo.

Law enforcement agencies are on high alert in Dhaka amid the lockdown. To prevent unrest, the government deployed 12 platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in the capital and two more in nearby districts.

“There is no cause for concern or fear. Dhaka city dwellers will stand against the Awami League’s subversive activities,” Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sheikh Mohammad Sajjat Ali told reporters.

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Case against Sheikh Hasina

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1) said on Thursday it will deliver a verdict in the case against deposed PM Hasina and two of her top aides on Monday (November 17).

Hasina has been accused of orchestrating a genocide and “crimes against humanity” during the student-led protests last year. Serious charges of murder and enforced disappearance have also been levelled against her.

Former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former inspector general of police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who later became an approver, have also been accused of committing crimes during the student-led protests last year.

Hasina, who fled to India after resigning as Bangladesh PM in August 2024, has dismissed the charges against her.

Security was tightened in and around the ICT ahead of the verdict date announcement. Police, BGB, and Armed Police Battalion (APBn) personnel were deployed in the court area, along with army patrols.

With inputs from agencies