Political tensions have risen in Bangladesh amid the announcement that former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will return to the country in December. Incidents of bomb blasts, arson and violent demonstrations have been reported from several parts of the country. According to police headquarters, 22 vehicles were set on fire across the country during the 24-hour period from Monday to Tuesday morning. Incidents of violence and vandalism were recorded in around 21 districts. During this period, a bus driver was burned to death.
During the violence, a coach of the Haor Express standing at Mohanganj railway station in Netrokona district was also set on fire. Railway staff and firefighters brought the blaze under control in time. Some seats in the coach were damaged in the incident, but rail services were not affected. In Shariatpur, protesters exploded crude bombs and vandalised vehicles near the toll plaza of the Padma Bridge. A police vehicle was also set on fire in Gopalganj.
Incidents of crude bomb explosions and bus arson took place in several cities, including Dhaka. In Faridpur, a driver sleeping inside a bus died after suffocating from smoke. Police have arrested several suspects and tightened security arrangements.
Sheikh Hasina has expressed her desire to return to Bangladesh from India and has applied for a new passport and national identity card. However, the Bangladesh government has rejected her demand and reiterated its demand for extradition from India. Police say a banned organisation and groups linked to it could be behind the attacks. At present, no direct link has been established between the violence and the announcement of Hasina’s return.
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