Dozens of crude bombs exploded and passenger vehicles were set on fire across Bangladesh over a three-day period. Authorities and media reports said Tuesday that the unrest left one person dead and multiple people injured.
The violence unfolded alongside reports that ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina plans to return from exile next month. Any direct connection between the unrest and her travel plans was unclear.
Mohammad Akhtar Hossain, a police spokesman, stated that at least 33 people were arrested on Monday in Dhaka, with other arrests carried out in different regions. Law enforcement recovered seven crude bombs during search operations and seized two motorcycles used in the attacks.
Security has been increased across the capital following the three days of blasts. Incidents in Dhaka included explosions at the Dhaka University campus and outside court premises on Tuesday, leaving two people injured alongside several torched vehicles.
In the central district of Manikganj near Dhaka, about 15 crude bombs detonated early Tuesday. Local newspapers reported that a driver was killed when a parked bus was set on fire during the unrest.
Hossain said investigators discovered that the perpetrators were tied to a banned organization or its affiliated groups. Many of the individuals involved were paid money to carry out the acts.
The ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party accused followers of the former prime minister of orchestrating the violence to destabilise the country. Hasina has been residing in India since August 2024, when a student-led mass uprising ended her 15-year rule.
A special tribunal sentenced Hasina to death in 2025 for ordering a deadly crackdown on protesters. Despite the death sentence, Hasina intends to return to Bangladesh voluntarily in December.
On Monday, Hasina requested a new passport through her counsel to facilitate her travel from exile. The government of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman dismissed the emailed request as a mockery, stating that Hasina must submit any application in person.
Dhaka continues to seek Hasina’s extradition from India and has rejected suggestions that she requires new identification documents to return home.
