A bus driver was killed in Faridpur as a fresh wave of crude bomb explosions, vehicle arson and violent demonstrations swept through several districts on Tuesday, with police reporting more than 100 explosions near the Padma Bridge toll plaza during an overnight blockade.
At least eight vehicles were burned or set ablaze between early Tuesday and evening, as explosions, clashes and road blockades were reported in Dhaka, Shariatpur, Gopalganj, Chittagong, Manikganj and several other areas.
The violence followed several days of attacks targeting public transport, police facilities, educational institutions and government establishments, prompting authorities to step up security and intelligence operations nationwide.
The latest incidents included a fatal bus fire in Faridpur, explosions and vandalism near the Padma Bridge, a police vehicle torched during clashes in Tungipara, and separate attacks on buses and other vehicles in Savar, Dhamrai, Chittagong, Manikganj and Khagrachhari.
Police Headquarters had earlier reported 22 vehicles torched nationwide over a rolling 24-hour period ending Tuesday morning.
Dhaka remains on alert
Dhaka continued to experience crude bomb explosions and arson attacks following several days of violence.
Police information published on Tuesday indicated that explosions had been reported at multiple locations across the capital during the preceding day and night.
Among the recent targets were Dhaka University’s Teacher-Student Centre, court premises, educational institutions and busy intersections.
A bus was set on fire beneath the Farmgate metro rail station on Monday evening, while separate explosions were reported in Banasree, Shyampur, Mirpur and other areas.
The incidents followed Sunday’s explosions at several locations on the Dhaka University campus, near the Criminal Investigation Department headquarters in Malibagh and at police facilities.
Police have arrested suspects in connection with some of the attacks and recovered unexploded crude bombs and materials allegedly intended for further incidents.
However, investigators have yet to establish publicly whether all the attacks were coordinated or directed by a single group.
Bus driver killed in Faridpur
The most serious incident occurred in Faridpur, where 55-year-old bus driver Md Kalachan Sheikh died after unidentified assailants set fire to a parked bus while he was sleeping inside.
Kalachan, a resident of Muksudpur in Gopalganj, was unable to escape as the vehicle caught fire. Police said he died from smoke inhalation.
Faridpur Kotwali Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mahmudul Hasan confirmed the death and said police were investigating the attack.
In one of the most alarming incidents, police reported that more than 100 crude bombs were detonated near the Padma Bridge toll plaza in Shariatpur around 1am Tuesday during a blockade.
The explosions disrupted toll collection and created panic in the surrounding area. Vehicles were also reportedly vandalised during the incident.
Vehicles torched in several districts
Separate arson attacks were reported in Savar and Dhamrai on the outskirts of Dhaka early Tuesday.
A parked bus was set on fire in Dhamrai around 1am, while another bus belonging to Savar Paribahan was torched in the Namagendha area of Savar around 2am.
Firefighters extinguished both fires. No casualties were reported.
In Chittagong, a bus was set ablaze in the Mansurabad area near City Gate, while a truck seized in connection with a case was torched near Chittagong Polytechnic Institute.
A crude bomb also exploded at a Grameen Bank branch in Anwara upazila, triggering a fire that damaged documents. The bank’s security guard brought the blaze under control.
In Khagrachhari, a parked Chander Gari was gutted by fire near KSTC Hospital. A BNP ward office in Guimara was also set ablaze, prompting police to detain six suspects.
A minibus was torched in Manikganj shortly after midnight, following a series of crude bomb explosions reported in the district on Monday evening.
Vehicle arson was also reported in Narayanganj, where two BRTC buses were attacked in Rupganj.
Clashes erupt in Gopalganj
Tensions escalated in Gopalganj on Tuesday as road blockades, demonstrations and clashes disrupted normal activities in several areas.
In Tungipara, a police vehicle was set on fire during clashes involving police and activists allegedly associated with the banned Chhatra League. Shops were vandalised, and injuries were reported.
Demonstrators also blocked roads in parts of the district, while police carried out operations to restore traffic movement and prevent further violence.
The unrest followed crude bomb explosions on Monday night near Gopalganj Government Zilla School, Government Women’s College, the District Shilpakala Academy and the Regional Passport Office, as well as in Kashiani and Kotalipara.
Gopalganj Superintendent of Police Md Habibullah said eight people had been arrested, 15 crude bombs recovered and seven motorcycles seized in connection with the incidents.
Police also reported attempts to obstruct the Dhaka-Khulna highway by placing felled trees and setting fires on the road.
IGP orders tighter security
Amid the escalating violence, Inspector General of Police Ali Hossain Fakir held a meeting with senior police officials from across the country on Tuesday.
The meeting, attended by metropolitan police commissioners, range deputy inspectors general and superintendents of police from all 64 districts, reviewed the security situation and measures to prevent further attacks.
The IGP instructed officers to intensify patrols, strengthen intelligence surveillance and identify those involved in arson, crude bomb explosions and other acts of violence.
Additional police were ordered to be deployed in Gopalganj, Shariatpur, Madaripur and Faridpur, where authorities considered the security situation particularly sensitive.
Police sources alleged that individuals linked to the activities-banned Awami League and its affiliated organisations were involved in some of the incidents.
Investigators were also examining allegations that attackers had received financial support or instructions from others.
Those allegations have not been independently established across the full series of attacks.
The violence coincided with a nationwide blockade program announced by the banned Chhatra League, with authorities stepping up security on major highways and around important installations.