Bomb blasts rock Bangladesh ahead of verdict against Sheikh Hasina; tensions escalate

DHAKA: The situation in Bangladesh is tense as the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) is about to deliver its verdict against ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Several crude bomb explosions were reported in different parts of the country late on Sunday night. One of the explosions took place in Dhaka Bazar.

Sheikh Hasina could be sentenced to death if she is found guilty in last year's student uprising and the subsequent military actions. After the July unrest, Hasina fled to India, where she still remains. The prosecution has demanded capital punishment. The case was heard in the tribunal without the presence of Hasina or then–Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal.

Meanwhile, in an audio message posted on her Awami League party’s Facebook page, Hasina urged her supporters to continue the fight against the government. Despite the ban on the party, she called on them to resist. “There is nothing to fear. I am alive. I will remain alive. I will stand with the people of this country,” she said.

Ahead of the verdict, the Awami League has called for a nationwide shutdown today. Hasina alleged that the Muhammad Yunus–led government has not allowed her party workers to attend school or walk in public places, and that they have been attacked in public. She also claimed that justice will not be served to those who attacked and killed police, lawyers, journalists, cultural activists, and their family members.