Bangladesh tense ahead of ousted PM Hasina's verdict
Hasina was overthrown by student protestors in 2024 who opposed the government job quota laws.
· CNA · JoinRead a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
DHAKA: Several crude bombs exploded in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka on Sunday (Nov 16), police said, heightening tensions ahead of a verdict on Monday in a case against ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina over violence during street protests last year.
No casualties were reported, but the blasts further unsettled a city already on edge after days of political unrest.
Hasina, 78, is being tried in absentia on charges of crimes against humanity for allegedly ordering a deadly crackdown on student protests in mid-2024. She denies any wrongdoing and has remained in India since fleeing there after her ouster in August last year.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner has instructed officers to open fire on anyone involved in arson or attempts to cause death by hurling crude bombs, local media reported.
Subscribe to CNA’s Morning Brief
An automated curation of our top stories to start your day.
This service is not intended for persons residing in the E.U. By clicking subscribe, I agree to receive news updates and promotional material from Mediacorp and Mediacorp’s partners.
Loading
Security has been tightened across Dhaka, in Gopalganj — Hasina's ancestral home and a stronghold for her party — and in two neighbouring districts, with Border Guard Bangladesh personnel deployed to reinforce local authorities.
Police and Rapid Action Battalion teams have been positioned around key government buildings and major intersections, leaving parts of the capital unusually quiet.
“It’s very tense — hardly anyone is coming out,” said Ramjan Ali, an autorickshaw driver in Dhaka. “I’ve been on the road since morning, but I’ve barely earned anything today.”
In the days leading up to the verdict, authorities recorded more than 30 crude bomb explosions and reported dozens of buses torched in Dhaka and several other districts.
Dozens of Awami League activists have also been arrested in recent days over alleged involvement in explosions and acts of sabotage.
While Hasina and her supporters claim the court case is a scam, there is no reason to question the credibility of the process, said South Asia analyst Michael Kugelman.
"This is not a case of rushing to justice, so to speak. This has been something that's been in play for for many months," he told CNA's Asia First programme on Monday, ahead of the verdict.
Kugelman added there is a "very good chance" that the ruling will go against Hasina, with speculation abound that she will be sentenced to death.
This will not have much of a direct impact on her given that she is in exile, but it has become a "very important issue" for Bangladesh politics, he noted.
"There are a lot of political parties and factions that are jockeying for influence and power in advance of the elections," said Kugelman, referring to Bangladesh's parliamentary election scheduled for February next year.
"One thing that unites them, even though they're very divided on many other things, is their support for justice for the hundreds of people - 1,400 according to UN investigations - that were killed in the violent crackdown that was overseen by Hasina and her security forces."
Newsletter
Morning Brief
Subscribe to CNA’s Morning Brief
An automated curation of our top stories to start your day.
Sign up for our newsletters
Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app