Crude bomb blast at Grameen Bank HQ

A crude bomb exploded early Monday outside the headquarters of Bangladesh’s Grameen Bank, founded by Nobel laureate and interim government Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, in Dhaka’s Mirpur area, police said. Two unidentified men on a motorcycle hurled the device around 3:45 a.m. before speeding away. No casualties were reported, but police have launched an operation to track down the suspects. The blast was one of several violent incidents across Dhaka amid mounting political tension. Around 7:10 a.m., two motorcycle-borne assailants threw crude bombs at Prabartana, a business owned by Yunus’ adviser Farida Akhter, in the Mohammadpur area. Both devices exploded, one landing inside the premises, though no one was hurt. Police also confirmed that unidentified men detonated bombs in Dhanmondi, near Ibn Sina Hospital — linked to Jamaat-e-Islami — and at a nearby intersection. In a separate incident, a 50-year-old man described by police as a “listed gangster” was shot dead outside a hospital in Old Dhaka later the same day. According to The Daily Star, he had served 26 years in prison and survived a previous attack in 2023. Police are investigating possible connections between his killing and the broader unrest. The violence comes as authorities heighten security ahead of November 13, when Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) is expected to set a date for its verdict against deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who is being tried in absentia. Prosecutors have sought the death penalty, accusing Hasina of brutally suppressing last year’s student-led “July Uprising,” which toppled her Awami League government. Dhaka has seen frequent flash protests and clashes in recent months, with security forces arresting over 3,000 Awami League activists since the party’s disbandment. Army troops, deployed for more than a year to aid civil authorities, were partly withdrawn last week for rest and training, though security patrols remain active. The unrest coincides with the interim government’s final deadline for political parties to reach consensus on a proposed referendum covering 84 reform measures, some conflicting with the current constitution. With the Awami League sidelined, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has reemerged as the dominant force but has rejected calls for dialogue with Jamaat-e-Islami, accusing the government of manufacturing a “political crisis” ahead of February’s planned national elections. @@@@