The DMP authorities have asked its field-level officials to gather information on the activities of madrasas in their localities and update the database continuously with a view to curb religious extremism.
They were also instructed to build relationship with the people who live around the madrasas, and if possible, with the madrasa insiders, to thwart any unwanted situation beforehand.
The issues were discussed in the crime conference held at the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Headquarters yesterday. DMP Commission Asaduzzaman Miah chaired the meeting where the officers-in-charge of all the 49 police stations and top zonal bosses took part.
The initiatives have been taken after a US website “Site intelligence” reported that international militant outfit Islamic State has taken responsibility of the killing of two foreigners in Bangladesh.
Though the government denies existence of IS as an organisation in Bangladesh, its law enforcement agencies arrested a number of local militants in the past one year for their alleged involvement with IS, al-Qaeda and Taliban.
The Detective Branch of police on several occasions warned that the local militant outfits were regrouping and working together to unseat the government through an armed revolution to establish an Islamic State in Chittagong region incorporating parts of Myanmar and India.
Earlier, the government’s taskforce to combat militancy had asked the Education Ministry and the Islamic Foundation to scrutinise the madrasa books to find whether there are any contents that may encourage extremism.
Moreover, the intelligence agencies were directed to continue vigilance at the madrasas and religious institutions and bringing the suspects to book.
Following the alleged IS claim and the security alerts issued by several embassies, the government also heightened security arrangements in the diplomatic zones of the capital. The law enforcers were also asked to set up check posts at different spots and increase patrolling.
The DMP boss yesterday asked the officials to closely observe the situation so that no militant group could create any unwanted situation.
The law enforcement agencies were also directed to create a list of foreigners staying in Dhaka and increase security in the areas they usually gather.
They were also asked to increase security in the capital’s Tejgaon industrial area and other places where the Hindus will observe Durga Puja, a senior DMP official said asking not to be named as he was not authorised to speak to media.
Muntasirul Islam, deputy commissioner of DMP’s media and publication cell, said that the meeting discussed different law and order issues and the officers were given some special instructions.
At the meeting, the DMP boss thanked the police officials for maintaining law and order properly, except for a couple of stray incidents. Some officers were given prizes for their performance, Muntasirul added.