Bangladesh Air Force on high alert after raids net many airmen for links with Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan
The counter-intel operation started over a week ago, covering air bases in Dhaka, Chittagong and Jessore. Some absconding airmen suspected to have fled to Pakistan, Portugal, Turkey and New Zealand
by Chandan Nandy April 23, 2026
Bangladesh Air Force’s intelligence wing has intensified surveillance over a broad section of its own personnel following the alleged detection of a deep nexus between some officers and airmen with Pakistani terror organisations since the early hours of April 20,
Northeast News has reliably learnt.
Based on surveillance inputs generated over a considerable period of time, BAF’s intelligence wing swooped down on several servicemen on at least two air force installations in
Dhaka in the early hours of April 20.
While two officers were said to have been nabbed, ten others were detained for questioning and nine to ten personnel were found to have fled. The two officers’ identities are being kept a closely guarded secret.
BAF Headquarters in Dhaka has shied away from even acknowledging the raids and consequent arrests, detentions and escapes, even as reports indicate frantic efforts are being made to unearth the scale of an alleged Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan penetration among a section of subordinate officers and other ranks.
Significantly, the raids continued even as Bangladesh Army chief General Waker-uz-Zaman was on an official tour to Malaysia.
Among the BAF personnel who escaped were four airmen who are said to have fled to Pakistan, Portugal, Turkey and New Zealand long before the raid started in the wee hours of April 21.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that two Army officers are also in custody, though their identities are being kept a closely guarded secret.
Reports originating from Bangladesh indicated that soon after the raids, which took place in secrecy for over a week and were spread over at least three BAF airbases, Air Headquarters issued orders a couple of days ago, suspending leave applications of all civilian officials at these BAF facilities.
Reports said BAF intelligence wing officers suspect that the officers and personnel of other ranks who were targets of the “broad-based investigation” were found to have links with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Security advisories issued by BAF some time ago pointed to the alleged links between the air force personnel and the TTP.
BAF sources said that more arrests were expected even as sustained interrogation and investigation are being pursued by the air force’s senior officers. Consequently, surveillance and monitoring have been intensified at the two BAF installations, including an airbase, in Dhaka.
BAF JCOs are said to have been instructed to seize the mobile phones of all LACs (Leading Aircraftmen) and subordinate ranks before depositing them with the Defence Branch Headquarters by 3 pm of April 21. Besides, JCOs have also been ordered to take nominal roll calls at BAF’s airbases.
While four to five airmen are said to have links with the TTP and are attached to BAF’s Cox’s Bazar unit, two airmen are with the 25th and 18th Squadrons, which are based in Chittagong and Jessore, respectively.
The airmen attached to BAF’s 18th Squadron were part of the MTR (or Matiur Rahman) or radar station, which provides weather and other information related to radar-based tracking.
Two of the absconded airmen were stationed at ‘AKR’, which is a key BAF base located in Dhaka’s Kurmitola and one was attached to the BAF ATI (or Airmen Training Institute). The ATI is located at the Zahurul Haque base in Chittagong.
Bangladesh’s three main air bases, where fighter jets are stationed, are in Kurmitola and Tejgaon (in Dhaka) and at Zahurul Haque in Chittagong.
Bangladesh Air Force’s intelligence wing has intensified surveillance over a broad section of its own personnel following the alleged detection
nenews.in
www.facebook.com
