Bangladesh Tightens Security in Dhaka Following Recent Arson Attacks

Bangladesh has ramped up security in Dhaka with new checkpoints and surveillance after a series of arson attacks and violent incidents. The unrest follows heightened political tensions surrounding the potential return of former PM Sheikh Hasina.

Security Measures Heightened in Dhaka

Bangladesh has tightened security in the capital, Dhaka, adding night surveillance and checkpoints after several unconnected cocktail explosions and arson incidents were reported across different parts of the country in the last few days.

"The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has implemented reinforced security measures across the capital to ensure the safety of citizens and their property, prevent criminal activities, and protect vehicles. Alongside setting up robust checkpoints at key entry points, major thoroughfares, and crime-prone areas of the city, police patrolling and surveillance have been significantly increased", DMP said in a statement on Wednesday.

Recent Spate of Violence

This comes as a Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) ward office was torched on Tuesday in Khagrachhari amid a nationwide blockade called by the banned Chhatra League, as Bangladesh witnessed a fresh wave of violence across several districts.

According to The Daily Star, the violence included arson attacks, crude bomb explosions and attempts to disrupt road connectivity. A bus driver was also killed after miscreants allegedly set fire to a parked bus in Faridpur while he was sleeping inside. At least four buses were torched across the country, while police arrested 11 people and detained six others during overnight security operations, according to the newspaper.

Political Tensions and Extradition Issues

The incidents come amid heightened political tensions after former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced that she would return to the country in December. A British law firm named Matrix Chambers reportedly initiated efforts on her behalf to obtain her passport and National Identity Card (NID) from the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi.

The Bangladesh government has said that former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is a convicted offender and, therefore, should be extradited from India under the existing extradition treaty between the two countries. Meanwhile, India has said that it will examine the matter in accordance with the established legal procedures.

Following the July 2024 uprising in Bangladesh, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India on August 5, 2024, where she has been staying ever since. Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has sentenced her to death for crimes against humanity committed during the July 2024 uprising. Against this backdrop, the Bangladesh government has been seeking her extradition from India under the existing bilateral extradition treaty.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)