A man was killed and several others injured in a clash Monday between a group of local people and air force personnel at an airbase in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar, officials said. The Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR) – the media wing of the military – in a statement said the “miscreants” attacked the Bangladesh Air Force Base near Cox’s Bazar’s Samitipara. “Bangladesh Air Force is taking necessary actions in this regard,” it said.
The ISPR said that “some local miscreants” of the Samitipara area adjacent to the beach resort town “launched a sudden attack” on the airbase after a biker was stopped at a checkpoint as he was crossing the base area without any papers for the vehicle.
It said the biker was taken inside the base for interrogation when over 200 people marched towards the base. The security personnel tried to stop them, sparking a clash that left four Air Force personnel injured. Deputy Commissioner of the district, Mohammad Salahuddin, said: one person was killed, and several others were injured in the incident”.
The official said a thorough investigation would be conducted into the cause of the attack. The officer-in-charge of a police box at a local hospital where the wounded were being treated said the incident took place at around noon. “Shihab Kabir, 30, a local trader, was shot during the clash,” the officer said.
The incident sparked a social media uproar, with people claiming that the youth died in gunshots fired by the Air Force personnel. Bangladesh’s defence ministry came up with a statement, saying BAF men did not fire any live bullets during the violence.
The ISPR said the Air Force personnel fired “blank shots” to protect a key installation, but no shot was fired on the people. It termed the incident to an “evil motive” of some “vested quarters”. “Bangladesh Air Force expresses its deep shock at the death of the youth and conveys its sympathy to the members of his family,” it said.
According to a local journalist, the government plans to expand the airport and relocate the people in the neighbourhood, a proposal opposed by some residents. The attack occurred hours after Home Affairs Adviser, Lt Gen (retd.) M Jahangir Alam Chowdhury reiterated the government’s commitment to maintaining law and order.
In a pre-dawn press conference at his residence, Chowdhury said that “cohorts” of the ousted Awami League regime of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina were out to destabilise the country, but “in no way they will be spared”.
“We will ensure that terrorists cannot stand anywhere and prevent crimes at any cost,” he said, adding that law enforcement agencies were asked to strengthen their patrolling across the country.
Bangladesh’s security forces have arrested over 8,600 people in a two-week crackdown named “Operation Devil Hunt” that targeted gangs allegedly linked with the ousted Hasina government.
The arrests come amid growing concerns about rising crime levels, particularly in Dhaka, with police saying the number of robberies had doubled since January last year. “Operation Devil Hunt will continue. We won’t let the perpetrators sleep or rest. I have ordered the forces to intensify patrolling,” Chowdhury told reporters.
Chowdhury’s emergency briefing comes as students, who led the July-August 2024 uprising eventually toppling the Awami League regime, expressed concern over the deteriorating law and order situation, with many demanding his resignation.
In a related development, Bangladesh Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman said on Monday that the military must continue working to maintain law and order until Bangladesh gets an elected government.
“We initially thought the task would be completed quickly, allowing us to return to the cantonment. We have been working for a long period now. We must exercise patience and fulfil our professional responsibilities with dedication,” he said at an event at suburban Savar Cantonment.
Zaman said it was imperative that while performing duties “we must avoid the use of force, which may be applied only when necessary”.
