Police on high alert, patrols tightened amid fears of attacks on key installations
All metropolitan, range, and district police units have been told to maintain maximum vigilance after intelligence reports suggested possible attacks on important national installations.
Police have been placed on high alert and instructed to intensify patrols around key point installations (KPIs) nationwide following three major fires in Dhaka and Chattogram within a week.
All metropolitan, range, and district police units have been told to maintain maximum vigilance after intelligence reports suggested possible attacks on important national installations.
The directive came last night (18 October), hours after a devastating fire at the cargo village of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.
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According to officials, the Police Headquarters immediately called for heightened security measures across all KPI zones.
A police commissioner from a metropolitan area and several district superintendents of police confirmed to The Business Standard that they received the instructions from headquarters and said field-level officers have been verbally directed to remain on maximum alert to prevent potential acts of sabotage.
An official of the Chattogram Range Police told TBS that soon after the directive, police patrols were increased in several key areas and that additional check posts were established.
The official added that they have also been directed to take pre-emptive steps and arrest suspicious individuals where necessary.
According to security analysts, a country's overall national security largely depends on how well its KPIs are protected.
Bangladesh has 587 designated key point installations nationwide, including Bangabhaban, Ganabhaban, which is being turned into a July Uprising memorial museum, Parliament, Secretariat, BTV office, airports, prisons, and power plants.
The security and monitoring of these sites are managed under a policy framework overseen by a government committee.
Following the airport fire, the government reinforced security measures around these critical sites as part of precautionary actions.
Officials from several government bodies confirmed that surveillance and patrol activities have been stepped up in all major installations.
Tawohidul Haque, professor of criminology at Dhaka University, said it is not unusual for law enforcement agencies to heighten concern after a series of incidents in sensitive areas.
"Fires at installations like the airport and the export processing zone cannot be overlooked. The main task of law enforcement and investigation agencies is to conduct impartial investigations and identify the causes of each fire," he said.
He added that delays in publishing investigation findings often lead to public suspicion.
"If the public cannot be reassured about safety through transparent investigations, various doubts may emerge regarding the upcoming election," he said.
The KPI Security Policy, first enacted in English in 1997 and later updated in Bangla as the KPI Security Policy 2013, outlines a detailed framework for the protection and supervision of strategic sites.
The policy mandates that boundaries of all KPIs must be clearly marked and secured with walls and that each installation must form a security committee to oversee regular monitoring.
Institutions are also required to maintain daily security logs and submit reports to the relevant authorities. Visitor entry records must include the individual's name, address, time of arrival and departure, and purpose of visit.
These records are to be preserved to assist investigations if necessary.
To enhance protection, the policy requires adequate lighting around key sites and adjacent residential buildings to deter unauthorised entry.
It also recommends the installation of closed-circuit cameras, luggage scanners, and vehicle inspection tools such as search mirrors at all entry points.
Furthermore, the policy advises deploying sufficient private security personnel and armed Ansar members where necessary.
Despite these directives, security gaps have persisted. Recent incidents, including the Secretariat fire in December 2024 and yesterday's blaze at Dhaka airport, have exposed the weaknesses in the current system for safeguarding KPIs.
