Nationwide alert over potential sabotage targeting force's vehicles: Police HQ

Police Headquarters has issued a nationwide alert instructing all units to tighten security around police vehicles amid fears of possible sabotage.

The internal directive, sent by the Operations Control Branch yesterday (1 August), warns that extremist groups or criminals could target police vehicles, including jeeps, pickup trucks and buses.

Though the order does not name any organisation or specify the source of the threat, several security officials told The Business Standard that the move follows recent bomb scares, intelligence information and heightened security concerns surrounding 5 and 15 August.

The directive instructs police to ensure the security of official vehicles both during operations and while parked. Vehicles that are stopped temporarily must be kept in secure locations under constant supervision, and no government vehicle should be left unattended.

Following the alert, security has been strengthened nationwide. In Dhaka, police have set up checkpoints at 48 key locations and increased protection at nearly 800 Key Point Installations. Officers were also seen searching suspicious vehicles in different parts of the capital today.

Police officials, however, said the directive should not be viewed as an indication of a specific threat.

Assistant Inspector General (Media) AHM Shahadat Hossain described it as a routine security measure and urged the public not to panic.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Additional Commissioner (DB) Mohammad Shafiqul Islam said police have no specific intelligence indicating an imminent attack on police vehicles.

"The recent bomb scares and recovery of suspicious objects prompted this reminder," he said.

Even so, security officials said the government has recently received intelligence from foreign partners regarding potential security risks. They said law enforcement agencies are assessing the information, although Police Headquarters has made no official comment.

The alert also comes days after India's Bengal Special Task Force arrested Hamim, also known as Hamid Mondal, in West Bengal's Bardhaman on 31 July.

Indian authorities alleged that the suspect is a member of the Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed and was involved in a plot targeting West Bengal opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari.

According to Anandabazar Patrika, investigators also recovered information from the suspect's digital devices related to surveillance of the West Bengal chief minister. Another suspect remains at large.

Bangladeshi security officials said they are examining whether the fugitive has any links to extremist networks in Bangladesh, though no evidence has been made public.

Law enforcement agencies have also increased surveillance ahead of 5 August over fears of possible violence or sabotage. Officials said they are monitoring potential programmes by the banned Awami League and its affiliated organisations, including flash processions and gatherings. Intelligence agencies have also adopted additional precautions ahead of 15 August.

Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime chief Additional Commissioner Mohammad Shamsul Haque said his unit has no specific intelligence indicating sabotage plans related to 5 August but remains on maximum alert.

Over the past nine days, several suspected explosive devices have been recovered in Dhaka and Ashulia. Police recovered and defused a remote-controlled improvised explosive device in Motijheel on 24 July, while a pressure cooker-shaped suspicious object was later recovered in Ashulia. Separate scares in Mirpur-10 and Farmgate, however, did not yield any explosives.

Speaking at an event in Rajshahi this afternoon, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said that every incident involving suspicious objects was being thoroughly investigated.

He said the overall law and order situation remained under control and that the government was maintaining the highest level of vigilance despite a decline in sabotage-related incidents.