Intelligence agencies and law enforcement authorities across Bangladesh have intensified counter-terrorism vigilance following a direct attack threat targeted at the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka. The threat, issued via an electronic mail dispatch on Wednesday night purportedly by an extremist militant organisation, spurred senior counter-terrorism commanders and police headquarters to conduct urgent security appraisals with the Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh, Yao Wen.
The incident ignited initial tension between embassy staff and local police regarding existing protective cordons. Intelligence sources indicated that heated exchanges broke out between both sides concerning the scale and readiness of the diplomatic mission’s security detail before structured discussions commenced.
A specialised counter-terrorism delegation led by Munshi Shahabuddin, Joint Commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit, arrived at the Chinese mission in the Baridhara diplomatic enclave on Thursday morning. The half-hour briefing included Additional Deputy Commissioner Mahmud from Police Headquarters’ Lawful Interception Cell (LIC), Ambassador Yao Wen, and at least ten Chinese nationals leading major bilateral infrastructure programmes across the country.
Diplomatic sources confirmed that the embassy alerted police headquarters and the CTTC immediately upon discovering the threatening electronic communication. The emergency consultation focused on determining the technical origin of the transmission, evaluating the operational capacity of the named extremist outfit, and reinforcing perimeter surveillance around both the diplomatic compound and residential clusters housing Chinese professionals throughout the capital.
Following the appraisal at the Chinese mission, the CTTC delegation proceeded immediately to the neighbouring Japanese Embassy in Baridhara. Joint Commissioner Munshi Shahabuddin held an adjacent security dialogue with Japanese Ambassador Saida Shinichi to review protective protocols, reassure Tokyo’s diplomatic representatives, and evaluate specific defensive requirements.
The digital threat emerged amidst broader security concerns linked to the discovery of suspicious explosive devices in several districts. Specialised police bomb disposal teams recently neutralised multiple crude devices found across the capital, including two recovered in Dhaka’s Demra area. That seizure led to the arrest of an operative affiliated with the banned militant group Jama’at-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). Investigators linked the detainee to absconding extremist operative Mamun, commonly known as “Boma Mamun.” Intelligence reports indicate that several operatives reconnected while in judicial custody before securing bail and disappearing into hiding. The recent arrests also coincide with security warnings issued by the United Nations highlighting persistent regional extremist activity.
A senior CTTC official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that specialist forensic units are working to unmask the individuals and militant networks responsible for the digital threat, confirming that the dedicated Diplomatic Security Division remains deployed around key consular facilities.
Repeated telephone attempts to contact Syed Mohammad Farhad, Deputy Commissioner of the DMP Diplomatic Security Division, went unanswered.
Meanwhile, intelligence operatives and elite police units have ramped up physical checkpoints and surveillance across Gulshan, Banani, and Baridhara, providing heightened round-the-clock protection for foreign nationals, diplomatic premises, and international offices throughout Dhaka.
