Anti-Sheikh Hasina Protest: Bomb Explosion Rocks Student Political Rally Near Bangladesh's Dhaka, 3 Injured

New Delhi: A reported bomb explosion occurred in Savar, near Dhaka, during a rally organised by the newly formed National Citizen Party (NCP), injuring at least three people.

The rally of the newly formed political party, the National Citizen Party (NCP), was led by students opposing former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

"Terrorists detonated a bomb at the post-march rally venue of the NCP in Savar. The explosion took place at around 9:45 PM on Monday while the rally was underway at the Savar Thana Stand Eidgah field," NCP said in a statement on Monday night.

Why the explosion

The bomb explosion in Savar occurred on the first day of the July March, which was organised to demand the implementation of a referendum, job creation, resolution of the power crisis, control of commodity prices, and border protection.

As part of the nationwide march planned for July, marking the second anniversary of the student protest against Sheikh Hasina, NCP had previously announced this march across the country.

Where is Sheikh Hasina?

Sheikh Hasina left for India on August 5, 2024 after a student-led uprising ‌ousted her government in August 2024.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on April 17 this year had confirmed that it is officially reviewing a formal request for the extradition of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina through established legal and judicial channels.

The announcement, delivered by MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, comes at a pivotal moment as India seeks to stabilise its partnership with the newly established government in Dhaka following the dramatic political shifts of the "July Revolution". 

Hasina vows to return home this year

Ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has vowed to return to Bangladesh this year, brushing aside a death sentence handed down in absentia and denouncing the ruling as “illegal, ​unconstitutional and politically motivated.”

Notably, last ​November, a Dhaka court sentenced Hasina to death after convicting her of inciting, ordering killings and ​failing to prevent atrocities during the 2024 unrest.

Rejecting the verdict, she accused Bangladesh’s judiciary of being used as “an instrument of political revenge” aimed at eliminating her Awami League party’s leadership.

Hasina ​said her planned return was not driven by personal ambition but by what she described as a ‌broader mission ⁠to restore political rights, democracy, the rule of law and the spirit of the 1971 Liberation War.

Defending her Awami League party, she said it remained deeply rooted in Bangladesh despite a ban on its activities. The restrictions, first imposed by the previous interim administration, remain in place ​under Prime Minister Tarique ​Rahman’s government, which took ⁠office after February elections.