Desk Report:
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has stated that any attempt to undermine the law and order situation will be suppressed with a firm hand.
The Minister made these remarks on Sunday afternoon (September 27, 2026) during a press briefing held at the Home Ministry conference room in the Bangladesh Secretariat, addressing the law and order situation and contemporary issues.
He emphasized that strict measures are being taken against criminals, irrespective of their political affiliations. “A criminal has no political identity; a criminal is simply a criminal,” he asserted.
Regarding a recent meeting and subsequent police raid at the capital’s Jasad office, the Minister explained that police, acting on confidential intelligence, learned that members of the banned Awami League had gathered there to plot subversive activities. Acting on this information, the police conducted a raid; while approximately 280 individuals were initially detained for questioning, the majority have since been released. Currently, 27 individuals remain in custody for further interrogation. He stated that if forensic analysis of recovered mobile phones and subsequent investigations yield evidence of involvement in subversive acts, legal action will be taken and cases filed against them. He assured that the raid was not conducted with the intent of harassing anyone unnecessarily.
Addressing the controversy surrounding the vandalism of content creator Salman Muktadir’s studio and demands for extortion money, the Minister noted an ongoing ownership dispute over a contested plot of land (approximately 35 kathas) in the Manikdi area under Cantonment Police Station. The dispute involved a developer group named ‘New Guinea Properties’ and a retired senior military officer. He explained that when one party attempted to take possession of the disputed land under the cover of darkness, a tin-shed studio belonging to content creator Salman Muktadir was vandalized. Upon receiving a call via the 999 emergency service, police immediately arrived at the scene, arrested three individuals, and recovered some locally made weapons along with spent bullet casings. Regarding the allegations made during a Facebook Live session—where the BNP was accused of being an extortionist party—the Home Minister stated that the alleged victim himself admitted no one had demanded extortion money from him. He noted that sweeping allegations lack legal basis in the absence of specific complaints or formal cases. He assured that if the victim files a written complaint, the police will conduct a thorough and specific investigation into the matter.
The Minister acknowledged that preliminary evidence of police inaction and negligence had been found regarding the attack, looting, and vandalism at Radda Clinic in the Shah Ali Police Station area of Mirpur. He informed that the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Shah Ali Police Station was immediately withdrawn following the incident, which occurred around midnight on September 25, and that departmental proceedings are being initiated against him. He further mentioned that the DMP Commissioner had been instructed to inspect the site; following the inspection, the police have already arrested nine suspects and recovered various goods and pieces of evidence. Strict legal action will be taken against all perpetrators involved in the incident.
Describing a recent statement by a political leader regarding cocktail explosions and street protests as “incoherent and unbalanced,” the Home Minister declined to comment on it, leaving the assessment of the entire matter to the discerning public.
Regarding the routine and administrative transfer of police officers, the Minister stated that transfer is not the ultimate measure when negligence of duty or involvement in criminal activity is detected. If an officer is implicated in sedition or other criminal offenses, legal action is taken through regular criminal cases alongside strict departmental proceedings. Citing the precedent of the former OC of Cantonment Police Station—who faced investigation, forensic analysis, a sedition case, and arrest—the Minister emphasized that criminal conduct within the police force would not be tolerated.
The Minister reiterated that the government consistently operates under a “zero-tolerance” policy aimed at maintaining law and order, ensuring public safety, and establishing good governance.
