Bangladesh clears new antiterrorism police unit

The home ministry has approved a new police unit to tackle terrorism across Bangladesh.

The 'Antiterrorism Unit' will join the police and swing into action 'soon', Additional Inspector General of Police Mokhlesur Rahman told bdnews24.com on Wednesday.

This unit will play the 'biggest role' in efforts to free Bangladesh from terrorism and militancy, the additional IGP said.

Currently, the Counterterrorism and Transnational Crimes unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police is tackling terrorism in the country.

The unit, headed by a deputy inspector general, started its journey in February last year following a number of deadly attacks by suspected Islamist militants on secular writers, bloggers, activists, and people of other religious beliefs in past few years.

A home ministry letter with the permission to launch the new unit reached the office of the comptroller and auditor general on Tuesday.

According to the letter, an additional IGP will head the new antiterrorism unit, which will have around 600 officials, including a DIG, two additional DIGs, five superintendents of police, 10 additional SPs and 12 assistant SPs.

The new unit will have 41 vehicles, including ambulances and armoured personnel carriers.