A series of bomb attacks and violent incidents shook Dhaka, Bangladesh’s capital, late Sunday night and early Monday, amid escalating political unrest ahead of key national developments. Unidentified assailants detonated improvised explosive devices (IEDs) outside the headquarters of Grameen Bank, founded by interim government chief Muhammad Yunus, and at several other locations across the city.
Police confirmed that no casualties were reported in the blasts outside Grameen Bank in Mirpur and Prabartana, a business owned by Farida Akhter, Yunus’ adviser on fisheries and livestock. The Mirpur explosion occurred around 3:45 a.m., while another set of crude bombs was hurled at the Mohammadpur outlet around 7:10 a.m. by motorcycle-borne attackers. One of the bombs landed inside the premises, causing minor damage but no injuries.
Law enforcement authorities stated that a city-wide operation is underway to identify and apprehend those responsible. “We have launched a campaign to track down the miscreants,” said the officer-in-charge of Mirpur Police Station, confirming that investigators are analyzing surveillance footage from nearby cameras.
Further disturbances occurred later in the morning when two more crude bombs exploded in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi area, including one near the Ibn Sina Hospital, reportedly affiliated with the Jamaat-e-Islami organization. Within hours, a 50-year-old listed gangster was shot dead in the city’s old quarters near a hospital. Police sources said the victim had survived an earlier attack in 2023, shortly after his release from prison following 26 years of incarceration.
The attacks come amid heightened security tensions in Bangladesh, as the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) prepares to announce its verdict on November 13 against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is currently being tried in absentia. The tribunal’s prosecution has sought the death penalty, alleging that Hasina ordered violent crackdowns during the July 2024 student-led uprising that toppled her Awami League government.
Dhaka has witnessed frequent flash protests and sporadic street violence over recent months, often involving disbanded Awami League cadres staging surprise marches before dispersing. Authorities report that more than 3,000 activists of banned groups have been detained, with daily raids continuing.
The Bangladesh Army, deployed in aid of civil administration for over 15 months, recently rotated nearly half of its 60,000 troops back to barracks for rest and retraining, even as the security situation remains fragile.
Tensions are expected to intensify further as the interim government’s seven-day deadline for political parties to agree on 84 constitutional reform proposals — many of which contradict existing provisions — expires Monday. These reforms, part of the July Charter, are intended to restructure the country’s governance framework but have divided the political spectrum.
With the Awami League temporarily disbanded pending trials of its senior leaders, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has emerged as the dominant opposition force, facing off against its former ally and now chief rival, Jamaat-e-Islami. However, BNP has rejected government calls for dialogue with Jamaat, dismissing the situation as a “state-engineered crisis” designed to manipulate the upcoming February 2026 national elections.
The string of explosions and violence underscores the volatile political climate engulfing Bangladesh, with the capital on edge as authorities brace for potential further unrest in the coming days.
