A major security breach has emerged within the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) after intelligence agencies uncovered alleged links between serving personnel and the Pakistan-based militant outfit Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The development follows the tracing and arrest of a BAF Warrant Officer who had gone absent without leave (AWOL) two months ago.
According to intelligence sources, the Warrant Officer, previously posted at the Zahurul Haque Airbase near Chittagong, was located at a TTP hideout in Pakistan’s northwest region and subsequently detained by Pakistani authorities. During interrogation, he reportedly divulged critical information regarding TTP recruitment efforts targeting BAF personnel, as well as alleged links involving other officers.
The disclosures prompted Pakistani officials to alert Bangladeshi authorities, triggering a sweeping internal investigation. Sources indicate that at least six other Warrant Officers, believed to have been recruited by the TTP, fled to countries including Turkey, Pakistan, New Zealand, and Portugal before the crackdown intensified.
Bangladeshi intelligence agencies have identified Abdus Sukur, an imam at the Zahurul Haque airbase mosque, as a key suspect in the recruitment network. He was reportedly detained during coordinated raids conducted over the past ten days. Investigators believe Sukur had been recruited by TTP operatives several months earlier and acted as a conduit for identifying and influencing potential recruits within the force.
The investigation has expanded across multiple installations, including the A K Khandakar Airbase in Dhaka and the Matiur Rahman Airbase in Jessore. These operations have led to the arrest of at least two Squadron Leaders, nearly ten Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) and airmen, and the detention of around a dozen others for questioning. Several personnel are also reported to have absconded.
Among those under scrutiny are personnel linked to sensitive units, including radar operations and training facilities. Some suspects were reportedly attached to BAF’s Cox’s Bazar unit, raising additional concerns about potential plans to establish a TTP training facility in the Ukhia region of Cox’s Bazar district.
The raids, conducted in secrecy since April 20, coincided with an official overseas visit by Bangladesh Army Chief Waker-uz-Zaman. While the BAF Headquarters has not publicly acknowledged the operation, internal measures have intensified. Leave for civilian staff at affected bases has reportedly been suspended, mobile phones of lower-ranking personnel confiscated, and strict monitoring protocols enforced.
Security advisories issued earlier had already flagged concerns about possible extremist links within sections of the force. Officials now suggest that further arrests may follow as investigations continue.
Unconfirmed reports also indicate that two Army officers may be in custody, though authorities have not officially commented. The unfolding situation has raised serious concerns about the extent of militant infiltration within Bangladesh’s armed forces and the broader regional security implications.
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