DMP Chief Authorises Firearms Against Arson and Bomb Attacks

Sheikh Mohammad Sajjat Ali

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Sheikh Mohammad Sajjat Ali has instructed police officers to open fire on anyone attempting to set vehicles ablaze or carry out attacks using crude bombs.

The directive was issued on Sunday afternoon via a wireless message sent to senior DMP officials, according to multiple police sources.

Confirming the order, Commissioner Sajjat Ali said, “I instructed over wireless that anyone who sets a bus on fire or attempts to cause loss of life by throwing a cocktail should be shot. This authority is provided in our law.”

The instruction comes amid heightened security concerns and recent incidents involving arson and crude explosive attacks.

Earlier, Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) Commissioner Hasib Aziz issued a separate order authorising the use of submachine guns (SMGs) against armed criminals posing an immediate threat — a directive that sparked mixed reactions across the country.