Bangladesh Police has officially launched a specialised and independent ‘Cyber Police Unit’ to combat cybercrime, strengthen digital security and enhance technology-based investigation capabilities.Home minister Salahuddin Ahmed inaugurated the unit at the Hall of Integrity at Police Headquarters in Dhaka on Thursday, said home ministry in a statement.
At a press briefing at the Police Headquarters, he said the unit has been established to transform the police into a modern, technology and knowledge-driven force in response to changing patterns of crime and the growing use of artificial intelligence.
Salahuddin said additional IGP Md Iqbal Hossain has initially been assigned to head the unit.
At the divisional level, deputy inspectors general and additional deputy inspectors general will oversee its activities, while police superintendents or senior officers assigned to the role will be responsible at the district level.
At the police station level, separate sub-inspectors, assistant sub-inspectors and constables will be deployed under the supervision of officers-in-charge to provide cyber-related services and conduct investigations.
The unit will have a total of 4,592 personnel. Experienced and trained members of the existing police force will initially be deployed, while the remaining positions will be filled through new recruitment.
The minister said the unit would also have provisions for outsourcing and recruiting experts on a contractual basis to ensure international-standard technical expertise beyond the conventional police structure.
Experts will be recruited for specialised positions including system analyst, financial data analyst, cyber security expert, network administrator, dark web analyst, crypto analyst, malware analyst, social media analyst, emergency response consultant and disaster recovery expert. They will receive a separate and competitive salary structure, he said.
IT-trained members of the regular police force will also be given priority for deployment to the unit.
The minister said specialised advanced training programmes at home and abroad have already been arranged for senior officers responsible for supervising and managing the unit.
Regarding infrastructure, Salahuddin said digital and forensic laboratories have become essential alongside chemical laboratories to deal with money laundering, social media-based crimes, rumours, financial crimes, drugs and extremism.
A state-of-the-art digital forensic laboratory equipped with advanced technology and cyber investigation equipment is being established under the Cyber Police Unit, he said.
The minister said cyber investigations previously conducted in an uncoordinated manner by different police units would now be brought under a single and disciplined structure.
Senior secretary of the home ministry Manzur Morshed Chowdhury and Inspector General of Police Md Ali Hossain Fakir, among others, attended the press briefing.
FP/R 
