Threat emails put diplomatic missions on alert

Threatening emails demanding extortion from foreign missions and government offices in Dhaka have raised fresh security concerns in the capital’s diplomatic zones, prompting law enforcement agencies to tighten surveillance while investigators probe whether the campaign was designed to create panic or tarnish Bangladesh’s image.

The Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police has described the emails as the work of a “fake group”, saying the perpetrators appear to be operating online and may have sought to embarrass the government or damage the country’s reputation.

DB Chief and Additional Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam said police were treating the matter seriously and working to identify those behind the threats.

“This group is operating over the internet. It is a fake group,” he told reporters at a press conference at the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Media Centre on Minto Road on Sunday.

He said police had questioned three to four people whose bKash numbers were mentioned in the emails, but found no connection between them and the threats.
“They are completely innocent – they have no idea about this at all,” he said.

The threats prompted authorities to reinforce security across the diplomatic areas of Gulshan and Baridhara, where a large number of foreign missions are located.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Diplomatic Security Division Deputy Commissioner Abu Khair confirmed the heightened security measures on Sunday.

He said threatening emails had been sent to the Chinese and Russian embassies, although investigators had yet to determine where the messages originated.

“Threatening emails were sent to the Chinese and Russian embassies. But where exactly they came from is not known.

We suspect this is a scam, a fake,” he said.
The embassies informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the threats in accordance with diplomatic procedures.

The ministry subsequently notified police headquarters and the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit, following which monitoring and security measures in the diplomatic areas were strengthened.

The DB chief said the threats were not limited to foreign missions. Asked how many embassies had received such emails, he said that, besides three to four embassies, similar messages had also been sent to several government offices.

Police are examining the motive behind the campaign and whether it has any links to organised criminal or extremist activity.

Shafiqul Islam said investigators believed the emails could have been sent because of personal or previous enmity, or with an intention to damage Bangladesh’s image and embarrass the government.

“We believe this was done out of prior enmity or to tarnish the country’s image. It may also have been done to embarrass the government,” he said.

No arrests have yet been reported in connection with the threats. However, investigators are continuing their inquiry and examining the information contained in the emails and the payment numbers cited by the senders.

“We are working on the matter. We take any such incident seriously. We are hopeful that we will soon uncover the mystery behind this. We will bring to justice whoever is involved,” Shafiqul Islam said.

The heightened security comes as authorities remain alert to the possibility that threatening communications targeting diplomatic missions could be used to create public anxiety, disrupt diplomatic activities or test security arrangements, even if the immediate threats ultimately prove to be fraudulent.