Bangladesh was hit by a wave of bomb blasts and arson attacks on Tuesday (November 11), forcing authorities to place the country on high alert. Several incidents were reported from the capital, Dhaka, including one near the headquarters of Grameen Bank in Mirpur, which is linked to interim leader Muhammad Yunus.

Local media also reported vehicle arson in central Dhaka, while crude bombs went off near Ibn Sina Hospital and Midas Centre in the city’s Dhanmondi area. Another blast was reported at a business establishment owned by Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter.

Explosions were also heard at several key points in the city, including the Mouchak intersection, Bangladesh Betar office in Agargaon, Khilgaon Flyover, and Shah Ali Market in Mirpur, The Daily Star reported.

In northern Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district, a man was killed after his vehicle was set on fire in an apparent act of arson. The authorities have yet to identify the attackers.

The incidents have raised major security concerns ahead of the national elections announced by interim leader Muhammad Yunus.

Officials believe the string of attacks may be connected to the upcoming verdict of the International Crimes Tribunal against ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, expected on November 13.

In response, security forces have been deployed in large numbers across Bangladesh. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has also banned all public gatherings near major government offices to prevent unrest, especially amid planned protests by the Bangladesh Awami League.

Special forces, including the Rapid Action Battalion, have launched citywide search operations.

A day earlier, on Monday (November 10), a car explosion near Delhi’s iconic Red Fort killed at least eight people and injured 20 others. The blast occurred in a Hyundai i20 with a Haryana registration number.

The car’s first owner, Mohd Salman, has been identified and arrested. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said authorities are “exploring all possibilities and will conduct a thorough investigation, taking all possibilities into account.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said those behind the attack “will not be spared” and “will be brought to justice.”

So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the explosion.

On the same day, a deadly explosion struck Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad. The blast occurred in a car parked in the lot of the District Judicial Complex, killing 12 people, according to state-run Pakistan TV.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif blamed India for the attack, calling it “India's state-sponsored terrorism aimed at destabilising Pakistan.”

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the country was “in a state of war” and claimed that the rulers of Kabul could stop terrorism in Pakistan.

However, the Pakistani Taliban (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan) denied any role in the bombing. According to Reuters, the group has recently been focusing its attacks on security forces, not civilians. Data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project also shows that civilian attacks in Islamabad have been rare in the past decade.