Bangladesh Police headquarters has taken a hardline based on information that a section of officers is leaking classified information and decisions of the government to the opposition forces. A number of intelligence agencies and special units of Bangladesh Police have started investigations to identify these anti-government officers. Meanwhile, activities of more than 200 policemen have already been brought under strict surveillance. The intelligence agencies are trying to monitor their movements, including what they are doing, who they talk to on mobile phones, and who they send text messages to. As part of this ongoing drive, three superintendents of police were put on forced retirement on October 18, 2022. A credible source told this correspondent than several police officers may be put on forced retirement and or made OSD (officer on special duty) during the next few weeks.
Talking to reporters, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Akhtar Hossain said, “Wait! Those who commit crimes must be punished. No one is being or will be harassed unnecessarily. It is not permissible to leak information to others while someone is in the government service. Those who are committing such acts have already been brought under surveillance. Three SPs have been sent on retirement on the basis of specific allegations”.
Meanwhile, intelligence agencies are scrutinizing political affiliation of several police officers who were promoted recently. It is alleged that plenty of them were involved in pro-Jamaat and pro-BNP politics during their student life. Their relatives are associated with Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami politics. They managed getting promoted by lobbying in various ways. After informing the top echelons of the government about such allegations, an initiative has been taken to scrutinize records of these officers again. Intelligence agencies are already working on it.
Sources said, a strict instruction has been sent from the police headquarters to all police unit heads and SPs to prevent members of Bangladesh Police from using social media while on duty.
It further said, activities of anti-government policemen are being investigated for almost six months. As part of this, a cleansing operations have started in the police administration.
Intelligence surveillance has been intensified to identify those policemen who are working against the government, maintaining liaison with opposition forces and even holding secret meetings and leaking classified information.
Meanwhile, the government’s high command has directed the police headquarters to collect information on dissidents and anti-government activists. A list of suspected officials is being prepared. Additional IG of Police, DIG, Additional DIG, Superintendent of Police, Additional SP and Inspectors are being brought under surveillance. Their daily movement, mobile phone communications and their activities outside the country are being monitored in detail. Police have received information that not only the on-service officers are involved in the conspiracy against the government centering the next general elections, several retired officers are also involved in such conspiracy. Those who already are identified are being warned about their anti-government activities.
Seeking anonymity, a source told this correspondent that the 3 police officers, who were sent on forced retirement on October 18, 2022 were already known as pro-BNP, while one of them was branded as pro-Jamaat. There were specific allegations against them to leaking classified information to political opponents of the ruling party. Even they were directly involved in anti-state activities.
This source further said, already a list of over 200 policemen has already been prepared, who are now under strict surveillance. Three months ago when police headquarters sent a sect directives asking for gathering information of anti-government political activists, some officers had leaked this message to BNP, Jamaat, Jayito Party and other opposition forces. Amongst those information leakers were DIGs, Additional DIGs, Superintendents, Additional SPs, Officer in Charge of police stations and inspectors.
It is further alleged that a number of police officers are maintaining regular communications with cyberterrorists such as Tasneem Khalil, Zulkarnain Shaer Khan Sami, Shahid Uddin Khan, Nazmus Saquib, Tito Rahman, Abdur Rab Bhuttaw, Hasina Akhter and others. They are passing information to them on a regular basis, while they mainly are communicating with those anti-Bangladesh cyberterrorists via communication apps such as WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram. Most of these officers are communicating with these individuals from a private mobile set.
High-ranking government officials under surveillance
Despite the fact that Awami League is in power since 2009, a large number of individuals who were actively involved with BNP-Jamaat politics during their student life has succeeded in getting melted in the administration and are currently occupying important positions in the civil administration. As the next general election is getting nearer, these officers have increased their communications with BNP-Jamaat men, while they also are frequently meeting them in various places. A source said, some of the officers even are contributing donation during each of the ongoing rallies of Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
It is also learnt from credible source that a number of retired military officers also are involved in anti-government activities, while they are maintaining communications with suspicious individuals abroad including anti-Bangladesh cyberterrorists.
Local cohorts of anti-Bangladesh cyberterrorists
As the next general elections is getting nearer, local cohorts of anti-Bangladesh cyberterrorists have become increasingly desperate and active, while they are openly promoting anti-government contents spread by Tasneem Khalil, Zulkarnain Shaer Khan Sami, Shahid Uddin Khan, Nazmus Saquib, Tito Rahman, Abdur Rab Bhuttaw, Hasina Akhter and others. Recently reporters of BLiTZ have identified at least three cohorts of ‘Nagorik TV’ YouTube channel, who are not only spreading anti-government contents of this extortionist cyberterrorist racket, they also are targeting pro-government individuals. Although information centering such illegal activities have already been brought into the attention of the cyber crime unit of the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) neither there is any investigation nor legal action on this matter. It is reported that these local cohorts of ‘Nagorik TV’ are enjoying patronization from several anti-government police officers.
