Bangladesh tense ahead of ousted PM Hasina’s verdict

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DHAKA (Reuters) -Several crude bombs exploded in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka on Sunday, police said, heightening tensions ahead of a verdict on Monday in a case against ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina over violence during street protests last year.

No casualties were reported, but the blasts further unsettled a city already on edge after days of political unrest.

Hasina, 78, is being tried in absentia on charges of crimes against humanity for allegedly ordering a deadly crackdown on student protests in mid-2024. She denies any wrongdoing and has remained in India since fleeing there after her ouster in August last year.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner has instructed officers to open fire on anyone involved in arson or attempts to cause death by hurling crude bombs, local media reported.

Security has been tightened across Dhaka, in Gopalganj — Hasina’s ancestral home and a stronghold for her party — and in two neighbouring districts, with Border Guard Bangladesh personnel deployed to reinforce local authorities.

Police and Rapid Action Battalion teams have been positioned around key government buildings and major intersections, leaving parts of the capital unusually quiet.

“It’s very tense — hardly anyone is coming out,” said Ramjan Ali, an autorickshaw driver in Dhaka. “I’ve been on the road since morning, but I’ve barely earned anything today.”

In the days leading up to the verdict, authorities recorded more than 30 crude bomb explosions and reported dozens of buses torched in Dhaka and several other districts.

Dozens of Awami League activists have also been arrested in recent days over alleged involvement in explosions and acts of sabotage.

(Reporting by Dhaka bureau; Editing by Alex Richardson)