Staff Reporter :Security experts have blamed the intelligence’s ‘failure’ for the unprecedented militant attack at a Dhaka restaurant that left over 28 persons dead and 50 others injured.On Friday night, a group of seven gunmen shouting “Allahu Akbar” stormed into the Holey Artisan Bakery, frequented by foreigners, and opened indiscriminate fire and exploded grenades taking hostages and engaging security forces in a deadly gun battle.At least two police officers were killed and several dozen were woundedinstantly in the gun battle. The Islamic State (IS) claims responsibility of the shooting. The attackers were later killed in commando operation. “So far the militants have targeted bloggers, intellectuals, individuals, members of minority community and sometimes security forces. But attack storming a restaurant in a heavily guarded diplomatic zone is unprecedented and a dramatic escalation in violence,” Major General Abdur Rashid (retd), a security analyst, told The New Nation on Saturday.He said the incident renewed security concern and raised question about the efficiency of the intelligence agencies. The attack also exposes a big hole in intelligence gathering and security system in Bangladesh. “It’s a matter of concern how such a crime took place in a diplomatic zone and the government and state agencies have been caught unaware of it,” he commented. “Though there have been a number of killings focusing on academics, activists and member of religious minorities, attacks on foreigners are rare in Bangladesh,” Major General (retd) Syed Mohammad Ibrahim, told The New Nation yesterday. “Local militant groups inspired by IS ideology carried out the deadly attack in a high security diplomatic enclave which is unprecedented in Bangladesh. It poses a potential threat to state security,” he added. General Ibrahim, a security analyst, said recently Bangladesh witnessed a wave of militant attacks but the security agencies have failed to come up with intelligence gathering prior to such attacks raising various questions among people. “People are concern over intelligence lapses of the concerned agencies raising questions about whether the security agencies are equipped enough to stop escalating militant threats in the digital age,” he said. When asked, General Ibrahim said there was no organisational structure of IS in Bangladesh. But IS-minded local militant groups were getting reorganised in absence of democracy and freedom of expression. Brushing aside the intelligence lapses, a senior Detective Branch (DB) official told The New Nation yesterday that they have perfect track record in combating militancy and terrorism by intelligence gathering. “One cannot defame our good name presenting a particular example. No doubt, militancy is a new threat here and the challenge is to find every needle in the haystack. That’s an incredibly difficult task. But we are sincerely working to collect information regarding militant operatives to combat militancy,” he added.
