Capital on security watch
A series of bomb discoveries and bomb scares across Dhaka over the past nine days has heightened public concern and prompted a nationwide security alert, with authorities warning that attempts to create fear and disrupt public confidence could have wider implications for economic activity, public transport and overall security.
Law enforcement agencies have urged the public to remain vigilant but not panic, saying investigations are under way to determine whether the incidents are isolated criminal acts or part of a coordinated attempt to spread fear.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said there was no reason for public alarm, adding that authorities were actively investigating those responsible.
Police Headquarters’ Operations Control on Saturday issued an emergency nationwide alert, directing all field-level units to strengthen security measures based on intelligence indicating that criminals or extremist elements could target police vehicles and other public assets.
The recent incidents involved suspicious objects at Motijheel, Mirpur-10 and Farmgate metro stations, as well as an improvised explosive device (IED) recovered in Ashulia, Savar.
Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit chief and Additional Police Commissioner Mohammad Shamsul Haque confirmed that only the incidents at Motijheel and Ashulia involved genuine explosive devices, while the suspicious objects recovered at Mirpur-10 and Farmgate posed no threat.
The object found at Mirpur-10 was identified as a betel-nut tin, while the sack recovered at Farmgate contained discarded waste.
Responding to questions over possible links to militancy, Shamsul Haque said it would be premature to draw conclusions before the investigation is completed.
He added that issues relating to missing or disabled CCTV footage also form part of the investigation and urged the public to refrain from spreading rumours or unnecessary panic.
On July 24, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police bomb disposal unit recovered a high-powered pipe bomb weighing between 1 and 1.5 kilograms from an abandoned umbrella beneath Motijheel Metro Rail Station. One pedestrian sustained injuries during the controlled explosion carried out to safely neutralise the device.
Six days later, on the night of July 30, law enforcement recovered another IED concealed inside a pressure cooker packed in a travel bag at a grocery shop in Ashulia. Investigators said the device contained a timer and appeared to have been designed to detonate at a predetermined time.
Both cases are being treated as high-priority investigations.
A CTTC official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said investigators believe some individuals in Bangladesh have acquired the capability to manufacture improvised explosive devices domestically.
Recent operations in Savar, Keraniganj and several parts of the capital have resulted in arrests over alleged extremist activities, with investigators finding that some suspects had reportedly received explosives training abroad.
Investigators are examining the design of the Ashulia device, the explosive materials used, the timer mechanism, CCTV footage, technical evidence and the movements of individuals who may have had contact with the suspects. No organisation or individual has yet been identified as responsible.
Investigators also believe extremist networks are increasingly attempting to recruit members and disseminate ideology through online platforms, encrypted messaging applications and personal contacts, raising concerns about small clandestine “sleeper cells”.
Wing Commander M.Z.M. Intekhab Chowdhury, Director of RAB’s Legal and Media Wing, said the elite force maintained a zero-tolerance policy towards extremism regardless of ideology, with continuous intelligence gathering and cyber surveillance to verify and respond to credible threats.
Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Branch (DB) chief Md. Shafiqul Islam said there was no intelligence indicating an imminent large-scale attack, although security agencies were closely monitoring all developments to prevent any acts of sabotage.
Crime analyst and Dhaka University Associate Professor Dr Touhidul Haque said the incidents could be linked to the country’s current political tensions, including disagreements over the implementation of the “July Charter”, differing political agendas and lingering divisions stemming from past political developments.
He also suggested that such incidents could be intended to divert public attention from pressing national issues, including the ongoing gas crisis, factory closures and employment challenges, while creating fear and uncertainty among the public.
Describing the incidents as potentially “man-made or sponsored crimes”, Dr Haque said individuals could have been persuaded to carry out such acts in return for financial incentives or promises of future benefits.
