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Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Detective Branch (DB) Chief Shafiqul Islam has said there is no specific intelligence indicating any planned attacks on police facilities or vehicles, despite recent security alerts issued to police personnel following a series of bomb scares and the recovery of suspicious objects.
Speaking at a press briefing at the DMP Media Centre on Sunday, the additional police commissioner said the warning was issued as a precautionary measure.
Responding to a question about possible attacks on police vehicles, Shafiqul said, “There is no specific information of that nature.
However, we always remain alert. Senior officers regularly supervise security measures.”
“The reminder was issued so that officers working in the field remain even more vigilant,” he added.
On Saturday, the Police Headquarters Operations Control Room sent an emergency directive to all field units, instructing them to strengthen security for police vehicles, including jeeps, pickup trucks and buses.
The directive warned that extremist groups or criminals could target police vehicles and instructed officers to park them only in secure locations during duty hours and keep them under constant surveillance.
It also ordered increased patrols and monitoring of vehicles kept at police stations, police lines and office premises after duty hours, while urging officers to remain alert for suspicious individuals or objects.
Shafiqul said the police must ensure not only public safety but also the security of their own personnel and facilities.
He noted that the latest reminder followed several recent bomb-related incidents and rumours, adding that similar directives had been issued in the past.
“In recent days, there have been attempts to create incidents and spread both true and false information. That is why this reminder was issued,” he said.
On July 24, police recovered and safely defused an improvised explosive device (IED) hidden inside an umbrella beneath Motijheel Metro Station.
The following day, a sack found near Bangladesh Bank triggered a bomb scare, but no explosives were discovered.
On Thursday night, police also recovered and defused what they described as a powerful bomb from outside a tea stall in Ashulia on the outskirts of Dhaka.
Most recently, on Saturday, the DMP Bomb Disposal Unit examined two suspicious bags at Mirpur-10 and Farmgate metro stations and confirmed that neither contained explosives.
Asked about the Motijheel IED case, Shafiqul said the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit is leading the investigation, while the DB is conducting a parallel inquiry.
“We are trying to identify and arrest those involved. As the investigation is ongoing, it is not possible to disclose further details at this stage,” he said.
When asked whether any organisation had been linked to the incident, Shafiqul said such attacks are rarely carried out by individuals acting alone.
“These kinds of incidents are usually committed to promote a particular ideology or objective,” he added.
