Bangladesh Issues Nationwide Security Alert Over Possible Militant Attack Threats

Bangladesh Police have issued a nationwide security alert following intelligence inputs indicating possible coordinated militant attack plans targeting key installations across the country, officials and media reports said on Saturday.

A senior Police Headquarters (PHQ) official said the alert was based on intelligence reports and described it as “urgent and confidential”. The advisory was circulated through an official letter signed by a deputy inspector general, warning of possible attacks on the parliament complex , police and military installations, places of worship, entertainment venues, and other sensitive infrastructure, including armouries.

The alert reportedly followed the arrest of a banned militant operative , Istiak Ahmed Sami alias Abu Bakkar, who is suspected of links with dismissed military personnel. The PHQ communication also referred to individuals believed to be involved in planning coordinated operations, though no organisation was named. Authorities described the suspects as a serious threat to national security.

In response, the PHQ directed CID, Special Branch, and the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crimes (CTTC) unit to intensify surveillance, while all police units were placed on high alert nationwide. Security has been reinforced at vulnerable installations, with intelligence monitoring expanded.

In the latest update, CTTC officials said cyber intelligence teams are actively analysing the inputs and coordinating investigations, while stressing there is no immediate cause for public panic . They added that no specific group has been confirmed yet and investigations are ongoing.

Authorities also linked the heightened alert to recent extremist activity and prison breaks following the 2024 political unrest during the July Uprising , which led to large-scale jailbreaks and hundreds of fugitives still at large, further complicating security challenges.