The police have strengthened security measures at the Amar Ekushey Book Fair venues — Bangla Academy and Suhrawardy Udyan — along with the police headquarters in Dhaka, following a bomb threat made allegedly by a banned militant outfit.
Confirming the matter, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Deputy Commissioner (Ramna Division) Md Shahidullah told reporters that Ansar al-Islam has sent a letter to the director general of Bangla Academy with the bomb threat.
“We learned about the threat after a general diary (GD) was filed in this regard. One Maulana Md Saiful Islam was the sender of the handwritten letter.”
The letter claims that anti-Islamic activities are going on at various hotels in Dhaka’s Jatrabari area, he said, adding that the militant outfit will carry out bomb attacks at the book fair and the police headquarters if such activities are not stopped.
Deputy Commissioner Shahidullah said they are taking the matter seriously. At the same time, the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit is working on it.
“It seems that the letter has been sent to attract attention,” he added.
Since Friday morning, visitors were seen going through archways to enter the venues of the book fair and security personnel were checking all the visitors’ bags.
The police dog squad is also searching the book fair grounds.
Shahidullah said there is no reason to panic because of the letter. Security measures have been tightened and book lovers can come to the fair without any fear, he added.
On Thursday, banned militant outfit Ansar al-Islam purportedly sent a letter to Bangla Academy Director General Md Nurul Huda threatening to bomb the ongoing Amar Ekushey Book Fair.
Regarding this matter, Mohammad Jahangir Alam, a security official of the Bangla Academy, filed the general diary with Shahbagh police station the same day.
