The government has placed all eight operational airports under heightened security after police headquarters warned of possible militant attacks on key national installations, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh disclosed on Monday.

CAAB chairman Air Vice Marshal Mostafa Mahmud Siddique said the move followed a formal police alert issued last week. 

He noted that airports are already designated as Key Point Installations and remain under constant protection, but security has now been further tightened as part of standard precautionary measures.

The police warning, issued on Thursday, said members of a banned extremist group could be plotting strikes on major state targets, including the national parliament building. 

Bangladesh currently operates three international airports in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet, alongside five domestic airports. Security is handled by CAAB’s Aviation Security wing, the Armed Police Battalion and other intelligence agencies.

The alert comes as Bangladesh faces a sharp deterioration in public order. Reports of murder, rape, extortion, kidnapping, mob violence and armed robbery have surged across Dhaka and districts nationwide throughout April 2026.

The latest killing took place in Chittagong on Sunday night, when Mohammad Nasir Uddin, a local Jubo Dal activist, was ambushed while returning home in Raozan. 

Attackers shot him multiple times in the dark during a power outage. He was taken to hospital but died around midnight. Family members said he had survived a previous assault in 2025 and had only recently returned to the village.

Police data shows the scale of the crisis. In March alone, 317 murders were recorded nationwide, including 61 in Chittagong. Dhaka logged 24 murders and 20 kidnappings, while national kidnapping cases reached 102. 

Violence against women and children stood at 1,485 cases, including 111 in the capital. Another 637 cases involved burglary, robbery, snatching and dacoity.

Even in February, more than 250 murders were reported, alongside 64 kidnappings and 1,181 incidents involving women and children.

Bangladesh’s worsening security climate is also reflected internationally. The Global Organised Crime Index 2025 ranked the country 83rd out of 193 nations, up from 89th previously, indicating increased organised crime activity linked to hawala networks, arms smuggling and human trafficking.

Recent high-profile attacks have added to public fear. In Mohammadpur, Dhaka, a businessman was killed in broad daylight, while Narayanganj saw murders, rapes, armed robbery and repeated thefts between February and mid-April.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Ramna Division Deputy Commissioner Masud Alam said patrols, raids and surveillance had been intensified, with arrests continuing.

Critics, however, say political interference and corruption are crippling law enforcement. They allege criminals enjoy protection from influential figures, while some officers prioritise informal settlements over prosecutions, allowing extortion and street crime to spread unchecked.

Senior political figure Oli Ahmed has also voiced concern over the worsening law and order situation.

In response, the government last Tuesday formed a core law-and-order committee under the Home Minister to coordinate a nationwide crackdown. Authorities have promised intensified operations in crime hotspots, though public confidence remains fragile.

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