DHAKA, July 7, 2026 (BSS) – The government has taken the initiative to rename the Bangladesh Police's two specialised units—the Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU) and the Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit—as part of a broader restructuring aimed at strengthening national security.

"We sent the proposal to rename the two specialised police units to the Ministry of Public Administration last week for approval," Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Abu Noyeem told BSS on Tuesday.

As part of the proposal, the Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU) will be renamed as the Special Security Unit (SSU), while the Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit under the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) will be renamed as the Special Security Unit-DMP (SSU-DMP) respectively.

Noyeem said the government has also decided to increase the manpower of the two units alongside the proposed   changes of nomenclature.

He said the renaming is part of a structural overhaul designed to strengthen the capabilities of the specialised units in response to the rapidly evolving nature of security threats at home and abroad.

Earlier, the Police Headquarters proposed renaming the two units and expanding their scope of responsibilities. 

It submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Home Affairs seeking approval to rename the ATU as the Special Security Unit (SSU). A separate proposal was also sent to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner to rename the CTTC as the Special Security Unit-DMP (SSU-DMP).

According to the proposal, the changes are intended to establish a more modern and comprehensive framework capable of addressing emerging security challenges, including violent extremism, the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI), and threats arising from the rapid expansion of the internet and information technology.