Sheikh Hasina verdict in Bangladesh shortly: Blasts, arson attacks keep Dhaka on edge

Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka was on the edge on Monday ahead of the judgement in former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s ‘crimes against humanity’ case.

Dhaka was in the grips of an eerie stillness on Monday morning amid calls for a shutdown ahead of the judgement. The stillness followed a night of sporadic arson and crude bomb attacks — the latest of such incidents in recent weeks.

Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) is scheduled to deliver the judgement in the case against Hasina later in the day. Muhammad Yunus’ interim government has sought the death penalty for her.

Yunus’ case against Hasina is related to her alleged actions in last year’s mass protests and street violence that forced her to feel Bangladesh.

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Hasina has been tried in absentia. She has been in India since fleeing Bangladesh on August 5, 2024. She has rejected the case against her as proceedings by a “kangaroo court”. She has accused Yunus of being a front for extremist elements.

Dhaka remains on edge with arson & blasts

Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka was on the edge on Monday with news of blasts and arson amid calls for a shutdown.

Last night, unidentified persons set ablaze the vehicle-dumping corner of a police station complex and detonated a series of crude bombs.

In one instance, a crude bomb went off in front of the National Citizen Party (NCP) office in Bangla Motor neighbourhood, according to The Daily Sun.

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In the second case, two crude bombs went off in front of the residence of environment minister Syeda Rizwana Hasan in the Central Road area. In the third case, two crude bombs exploded in the Karwan Bazar intersection.

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Since November 10, Dhaka has witnessed a series of clandestine predawn blasts, including targeted attacks at Yunus’ Grameen Bank, according to PTI.

Crude bombs have targeted the Mirpur headquarters of the Grameen Bank. Moreover, petrol bombs and arson have also targeted several branches. In one such attack, a bus driver was killed last week.

In the wake of such incidents, around 15,000 security personnel have been deployed in Dhaka on Monday and personnel have been authorised to open fire.

“Anyone who sets a bus on fire or throws crude bombs with the intent to kill should be shot,” Dhaka Commissioner SM Sazzat Ali said on Sunday.

Armoured carriers, water cannons, and riot-control units from the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and police were deployed at major junctions in Dhaka and checkpoints at entry-exit points were being screened, according to PTI.

Security forces mounted intensive patrols around the International Crimes Tribunal complex, the Secretariat, the Supreme Court premises, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and the diplomatic enclave, the news agency reported.

In addition to Dhaka, forces have also been deployed in Gopalganj and and nearby districts.

Yunus seeks death penalty for Hasina

Yunus’ interim government has sought death penalty for Hasina.

Ideally, Hasina should be sentenced to death 1,400 times for deaths of 1,400 people during last year’s protests, according to Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam.

But, since that is not possible, Hasina should be sentenced at least once, as per Islam.

“We demand the highest punishment for her. For a single murder, one death penalty is the rule. For 1,400 murders, she should be sentenced 1,400 times but since that is not humanly possible, we demand at least one,” Islam said last month.

Islam has said that Hasina was “the nucleus around whom all the crimes committed during the July–August uprising revolved”.