--- title: Bangladesh: Political Turmoil Sparks Fresh Violence description: Antigovernment protestors torch at least two vehicles a day after an opposition politician was shot and injured canonical: https://time.com/3668687/bangladesh-violence-bnp-khaleda-zia-sheikh-hasina/ author: TIME Staff article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-01-15T07:34:43.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T03:35:38.252Z article:section: World og:title: Fresh Violence in Bangladesh og:description: Street protests erupt a day after a senior opposition politician was shot and injured. og:url: https://time.com/3668687/bangladesh-violence-bnp-khaleda-zia-sheikh-hasina/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9c44e0062a602b1e/69877a00a988ca81b06abe6b/461076648.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: BANGLADESH-POLITICS-UNREST-OPPOSITION og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Fresh Violence in Bangladesh twitter:description: Street protests erupt a day after a senior opposition politician was shot and injured. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9c44e0062a602b1e/69877a00a988ca81b06abe6b/461076648.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Political Turmoil Sparks Fresh Violence in Bangladesh by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Jan 15, 2015 7:34 AM CUT  Burning vehicles, set on fire by opposition demonstrators, are pictured during violent protests in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Jan. 6, 2015 Burning vehicles, set on fire by opposition demonstrators, are pictured during violent protests in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Jan. 6, 2015STRDEL—AFP/Getty Images by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Jan 15, 2015 7:34 AM CUT The Bangladeshi capital Dhaka was hit by fresh violence on Thursday morning, with antigovernment protestors torching at least two vehicles a day after an opposition politician was shot and injured in what was reported to be a botched assassination attempt. The attack on Riaz Rahman, a close aide to former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, drew international condemnation, with U.S. State Department spokesperson Marie Harf [condemning](http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/01/235935.htm "undefined") the “use of violence for political objectives.” The U.S., she said, was “shocked and saddened” by the attack on the former Bangladeshi Foreign Minister. A 20-party alliance led by Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has called for a general shutdown today to protest the attack, the _Daily Star_, a local newspaper, [reported](http://www.thedailystar.net/bus-car-torched-at-khilgaon-60054 "undefined"). Earlier, on Wednesday, antigovernment protesters firebombed a packed bus, killing four passengers, including a young child, [according](http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-in-school/bus-firebombed-in-bangladesh-unrest4-killed/article6789946.ece "undefined") to the news agency Agence France-Presse. Violence in the South Asian nation flared earlier this month when the government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina blocked opposition plans to hold antigovernment demonstrations on the anniversary of national polls that are disputed by Zia and her supporters. Authorities also confined Zia to her office in Dhaka, where she remains. 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