Major Upgrade for Bangladesh SWAT Unit

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The Bangladesh police headquarters have decided to launch SWAT-like teams in all divisional cities to combat armed terrorists, after the elite tactical unit of DMP achieved huge success in recent anti-militancy operations.

“We will launch teams in all divisional cities as early as possible,” said AKM Shahidur Rahman, deputy inspector general at the police headquarters, to The Daily Star recently. The teams, he added, will be well-trained and well-equipped with sophisticated arms. The process of recruitment and purchasing firearms is underway.

There is a plan that the officials of Special Weapons And Tactics team (SWAT), among others, will train the teams in the divisional cities.

At a programme recently, DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia said they started working to increase strength and capability of special forces like SWAT, including thorough training.

Japan and the US already proposed to provide training, which may start by this year. Japan will also give logistical supports in this regard, he added. Unlike other forces from different police stations and detectives, the unit has rarely taken part in regular operations.

As part of the training, ADC Ashiqur said, a SWAT man fires numerous simulation bullets every week and 200 live rounds every month.

Intelligent, courageous, physically fit and tactful police men are included in SWAT. It has an ADC, an assistant, four inspectors, 12 sub-inspectors. The rest are assistant sub-inspectors and constables.

The SWAT men usually use M4 assault rifles and Glock-17 pistols.

“We soon are going to get 200 pieces of submachine gun KRISS Super V to be used specially in close quarters battle against terrorists,” he said.

SWAT has three internal teams. The command and control team which plans and coordinates operations. The second one examines ways to break into a militant or crime den during an operation, while the sniper and intelligence team is skilled in killing a suicide attacker or terrorist with heavy arms.

Ashiqur said the DMP has planned to increase the number of SWAT members to 100.

According to senior police officials, the government has planned to provide the unit with two bulletproof vans for operations in an open space.