Police fear attacks in Sylhet after those in northern districts in Bangladesh

After several militant attacks in the northern districts, police fear similar attacks might occur in Sylhet.

Citing intelligence input, Sylhet range Deputy Inspector General Md Mizanur Rahman has said mosques and shrines may become the target of these attacks.

"Police have information on plans for such attacks in Sylhet. The militants have targeted mosques, shrines, Shia, waaz-mahfil (religious gatherings) and Friday's Juma prayers," he told bdnews24.com after an interactive meeting on Saturday with Islamists on tackling militancy and terrorism.

He said detectives had information that the militants might carry out the attacks using explosive devices set up in laptops.

"Suspected militants have been trying to collect old laptops for some days," DIG Rahman said.

"We have alerted our members after meeting the intelligence agencies," he added.

Rahman also said it would not be possible for the police alone to prevent militancy.

"The people too will have to be aware and alert," he said.

Referring to an intelligence report, the DIG said NGOs and local and foreign organisations were under police surveillance over the financing of militants.

He said the meeting with the Islamists, including imams, had been organised to alert them about the possibility of extremist attacks.

Farid Uddin Ahmad, acting Director, Sylhet Islamic Foundation, told bdnews24.com after the meeting that there was no security in the nearly 19,000 mosques, around 500 shrines and about 30,000 madrasas.

He emphasised that religious organisations should establish their own security systems apart from those of the police.

In May 2004, the then British high commissioner Anwar Choudhury survived a bomb attack at the shrine of Hazrat Shahjalal.

Awami League leader Ibrahim Ali was killed in a similar attack at Taltola in Sylhet in August the same year.

A meeting of the Mohila Awami League came under attack at former MP Jebunnesa Haque's house in December 2004.

On Aug 17, 2005, a series of bomb attacks shook the country. Sylhet experienced explosions at 29 places in one day.

In the last attack in Sylhet, blogger Ananta Bijoy Das was hacked to death on May 12 last year.

In March 2006, the then leader of Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh Shayekh Abdur Rahman was arrested in a drive at Shaplabagh. He was later tried and hanged.