Bangladesh Police Issue Nationwide Alert Over Potential Militant Attacks

Bangladesh Police have issued a nationwide security alert warning of potential coordinated militant attacks targeting key infrastructure, including the parliament complex and various security installations. According to PTI, officials confirmed the move on Saturday, describing the directive as “urgent and confidential”.

A letter from police headquarters warned that the parliament complex, places of worship, entertainment centres, and military and police installations—with armouries identified as specific targets—are at risk. The alert follows the recent arrest of Istiak Ahmed Sami, alias Abu Bakkar, a member of a banned militant organisation who allegedly maintained contact with two dismissed military personnel. PTI reported that the document included profiles of two suspected key planners behind the potential attacks, describing them as “extremely dangerous for the overall security of the country”.

Police headquarters has directed specialised units, including the Criminal Investigation Department, the Special Branch, and the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crimes unit, to heighten vigilance. Regular police forces across the country have also been placed on high alert. A police chief in a western district confirmed receipt of the instructions, stating that security measures at local stations have been enhanced.

Reported PTI, this development coincides with an upsurge of extremist activity over the past 18 months during the Muhammad Yunus-led interim regime, following the August 2024 ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government after the 'July Uprising'. Authorities have noted that hundreds of inmates, including death row convicts and Islamists, remain fugitives following a series of jailbreaks during that period.

Prisons chief Brigadier General Syed Motaher Hossain stated that approximately 2,700 inmates escaped during the unrest, with about 700 still at large. Several militants are among the fugitives, and significant quantities of firearms were looted from prison guards during the chaos.

Notable incidents included an attack on a prison in Narsingdi in July 2024, which allowed over 800 inmates to escape, and a breach at the Kashimpur High Security Jail in Gazipur, where over 200 prisoners fled after guards were taken hostage. Furthermore, some jailed leaders of banned groups, including Ansarullah Bangla Team chief Jasimuddin Rahmani, were released on bail during the interim period.

(With inputs from PTI)