An intelligence agency warns that 200-250 people are going to head to Dhaka to “bring Hasina back” to the country
Published : 13 Apr 2025, 11:21 PM
Alleging that Awami League leaders and activists are “planning to travel” to Dhaka to “bring Sheikh Hasina back to the country”, an intelligence agency has sent a letter to all police stations with a bunch of instructions to prevent what they termed anti-government activities.
On Sunday, the agency said these supporters of the deposed prime minister were “at full readiness” to achieve their goal.
A copy of the letter sent to all police stations in Chattogram and labelled “urgent special message” was seen by bdnews24.com.
Multiple members of the force in Chattogram, who were against being named, confirmed receiving the letter.
Asked about the content of the letter, Additional Superintendent Md Russel, the spokesperson for Chattogram police, did not comment and said: “You check it out.”
The letter said according to confidential sources, at least 200-250 grassroots leaders and activists from each union of the Awami League and its affiliated organisations had been directed to come to Dhaka fully prepared by the next week.
The letter has eight-point instructions, including monitoring the movements of those who face legal charges, identifying their locations by tracking their phones, and preparing for their arrest.
Alongside setting up checkpoints at key locations and monitoring docks, railway stations and bus stands, the agency asked to seek assistance from political leaders of the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and National Citizen Party to halt the Dhaka-bound movement of these Awami League supporters.
Also, the letter called for online monitoring through social media to make arrests and take legal action against those who financed such an operation while monitoring the cars and microbuses for hire.
It added that information on all arrests must be forwarded to the police control room over the next 24 hours from 12am Monday, which will remain effective until further instructions are provided.
The letter contains a sample table of how to deliver the information, mentioning the name of the unit, the number of arrests, check posts, and suspects detained through searches.
Chattogram Range Deputy Inspector General Habib Palash told bdnews24.com, “I don’t remember whether any intelligence agency sent a letter. But whoever causes misconduct, no matter which organisation they belong to, our position is clear about it. It doesn’t matter who says what. We are always active against [those who engage in sabotage].”
“Anyone else can sabotage or attempt to cause chaos using the name of an organisation. So the organisation does not matter."
Despite not explicitly commenting on the letter, the superintendent of police from multiple districts advised vigilance in the matter.
Gopalganj SI Md Mizanur Rahman said, “We’re monitoring the situation, staying informed about whether there’s a gathering, or if anyone’s engaging in malicious activities. We’re carrying these out secretly.”
The Hasina-led Awami League government fell in August in the face of a student-led mass uprising. She fled to India the same day. Later, media reports suggested that many leaders of the party had also fled overseas.