A series of cocktail explosions, arson attacks on vehicles and the recovery of suspected explosive devices in and around Dhaka have renewed concerns over possible extremist activity. The developments come alongside the detention of 23 people from a mosque in the Farmgate area, after law enforcement authorities alleged that some of them were discussing plans to form a new organisation called ‘Ittihadul Ummah’ with the stated aim of establishing a caliphate.

Authorities, however, have cautioned against interpreting the recent incidents as evidence of a wider resurgence of extremism. Law enforcement agencies say there is currently insufficient information to conclude that extremist groups are gaining significant ground, while surveillance of potential threats remains ongoing.

Human rights activists have also urged caution. They say arrests or the recovery of explosives alone should not be used to draw sweeping conclusions about the overall security situation. At the same time, the succession of incidents, allegations surrounding the proposed new organisation and the recovery of materials allegedly linked to bomb-making warrant thorough investigation.

Police detained the 23 people after Friday prayers on 18 September at a mosque in Farmgate. According to law enforcement officials, some of those present were discussing possible extremist activities. The detainees were subsequently questioned and their mobile phones examined as part of the investigation.

The detention took place against a backdrop of several incidents of violence in the capital. On Friday, cocktail explosions and fires targeting passenger buses were reported in different parts of Dhaka. The following day, 19 September, three buses were set on fire in Mirpur and central Badda, while a pickup vehicle was also set alight in South Keraniganj. Reports of further cocktail explosions emerged from several parts of the capital. Similar incidents were reported in some areas on Sunday.

Although there is no confirmed evidence that all these incidents are connected, their occurrence within a short period has heightened public concern.

Allegations over ‘Ittihadul Ummah’ plan

Speaking to journalists on Sunday, 20 September, at the Home Ministry’s conference room at the Secretariat, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said police had acted on intelligence regarding possible extremist activity at the Farmgate mosque.

He said forensic examinations of the detainees’ mobile phones, along with questioning, had produced no significant evidence against 11 of them. Those individuals were subsequently handed over to their guardians and local community representatives, according to the minister.

Police officials said the remaining 12 people were taken into the custody of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit for further questioning.

According to the home minister, forensic analysis and interrogation of those in custody revealed information about plans to establish an organisation named ‘Ittihadul Ummah’. The authorities allege that the group was intended to organise people around extremist activities aimed at establishing a caliphate.

The minister said legal proceedings had begun and that investigators were continuing to examine the allegations to establish the full circumstances surrounding the case.

Human rights activists urge evidence-based assessment

Human rights activist Nur Khan Liton told Bangla Tribune that extremism was not a new concern in Bangladesh and had remained a security issue for many years.

He questioned how effectively such groups had been monitored over the past two years and said there were signs that some groups could be attempting to organise again. At the same time, he stressed that the precise reasons for the Farmgate arrests and the detainees’ possible links to any particular organisation had not yet been established.

He said the law enforcement and intelligence agencies were investigating the matter and warned against making broad or assumption-based statements before the investigation was complete.

Another human rights activist, Abu Ahmed Faizul Kabir, said allegations involving extremism required careful assessment based on evidence. While the arrests should be investigated seriously, he argued that the detention of several people alone was not sufficient to establish that extremist activity was expanding across the country.

He said investigators would need to establish the detainees’ actual involvement, organisational links, sources of funding, online activities and wider networks before a clearer assessment could be made. He also highlighted the importance of strengthening critical thinking, tolerance, humanitarian values and an inclusive civic culture among young people as part of longer-term efforts to prevent extremism.

Explosives recovered in several recent incidents

The Farmgate arrests are not the only development to attract the attention of law enforcement agencies. Several incidents involving suspected explosive devices and bomb-making materials have also been reported in recent weeks.

Police recently recovered what was described as an ‘umbrella bomb’ beneath the Motijheel metro station and a ‘pressure-cooker bomb’ from an abandoned bag in Ashulia.

Earlier, a bomb exploded at a gathering in Savar. Police subsequently recovered several pipe bombs, chemicals and other materials allegedly used for making explosives from a rented house in the area. Within hours, officers also recovered a powerful pressure-cooker bomb from the grounds of a mosque.

A separate bomb explosion was reported at the Barishal court premises.

Law enforcement officials have said they found indications of links between some of the bomb recoveries and explosions. In connection with the Savar case, authorities have also said they found signs of involvement by Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). Investigators said some individuals who allegedly rented houses using false identities had not yet been detained. Police have arrested one person and the CTTC is searching for another.

Security agencies maintain surveillance

Attempts were made to contact Mohammad Shamsul Haque, additional police commissioner and head of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s CTTC unit, for an assessment of the broader extremist threat, but he did not answer the phone.

At a recent press conference, however, he said there were no signs of extremism gaining significant momentum in the country. He also said the CTTC was continuing to monitor potential extremist activities using intelligence information, online and social media activity, and its own databases.

The recent incidents have therefore placed renewed attention on the country’s security environment, particularly the possibility of isolated groups attempting to organise or establish new networks. Whether the incidents are connected remains a matter for investigation. For now, authorities are maintaining surveillance while investigators examine the evidence surrounding the arrests, explosions, arson attacks and reported plans involving ‘Ittihadul Ummah’.