Dhaka was rattled by a series of crude bomb blasts across three major areas on Tuesday evening, signaling a sharp escalation of political turmoil ahead of a critical judicial decision.
The wave of low-intensity attacks began around 5:30 pm near the Mirpur BRTA area. Approximately an hour later, another crude bomb detonated under the Madhubagh Bridge in the Hatirjheel area, resulting in damage to a motorcycle. The violence continued with two more crude bombs exploding around 7:30 pm near the Pallabi Metro Station. Police confirmed visiting the scenes and are collecting CCTV footage to identify the perpetrators, although no casualties were reported in these specific incidents.
The attacks are interpreted as a response to the upcoming International Crimes Tribunal-1 verdict, scheduled for November 17, in a crimes against humanity case against the deposed prime minister, Sheikh Hasina. This evening's blasts are part of a wider pattern of violence over the last five days, which has been linked to a recently announced "lockdown" by the banned Awami League (AL). The unrest has been severe, with reports of at least 30 arson attacks, predominantly targeting buses, and dozens of crude bomb blasts across the country.
The period of violence has tragically resulted in at least two deaths, including a bus driver killed in an arson attack in Mymensingh, and a youth who died while fleeing a mob after setting a bus on fire in Mirpur.
