Paid recruits tied to banned group behind 3-day crude bomb attacks in Bangladesh, police say

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Dozens of crude bombs have exploded and passenger vehicles have been set on fire in Bangladesh’s capital and elsewhere over the past three days, leaving one person dead and others injured, authorities and media reports said Tuesday.

The violence coincided with reports that the ousted former prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, plans to return from exile next month, though any connection remained unclear.

Mohammad Akhtar Hossain, a police spokesman, said at least 33 people were arrested Monday in Dhaka and more arrests were made elsewhere. He said a banned group was behind the attacks but did not identify it.

As many as 15 crude bombs exploded in the central district of Manikganj, near Dhaka, early Tuesday, and a driver was killed when a parked bus was set on fire, the country's leading newspapers reported.

In Dhaka, crude bombs exploded over the three days, including at the Dhaka University campus and at the premises of a court on Tuesday, with two people injured. Several vehicles were also torched.

Hossain said seven crude bombs were recovered during search operations, and two motorcycles used in the attacks were also seized in Dhaka. He said security has been increased across the city.

The ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party accused Hasina’s followers of the violence, saying they want to destabilize the country.

Hossain, without naming any suspected perpetrators, said: “We have found that those involved in these activities are linked to an organization whose activities have been banned, or to its affiliated groups. In many cases, we have also found that some individuals were paid to carry out these acts."

Hasina has been in India since Aug. 5, 2024, when she fled the country as a student-led mass uprising ended her 15-year rule.

A special tribunal sentenced her to death in 2025 for ordering a deadly crackdown on protesters.

On Monday, Hasina requested a new passport to facilitate her return from exile.

The government has been seeking her extradition from India and has dismissed suggestions she needed new identification documents to return home.

Hasina says she wants to return to Bangladesh in December voluntarily, despite being sentenced to death.

In a letter seen by The Associated Press that was emailed to Bangladesh’s diplomatic mission in New Delhi, Hasina’s counsel urged the top diplomat to take necessary action to provide her a passport and national identity card.

The government of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman said Hasina’s email seeking the passport was a mockery. It said Hasina would be required to submit her application in person, and that an emailed request is not enough.