Plan Underway to Form Cyber Security Unit to Boost Police Capability: Home Minister
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has said that a plan is underway to establish a full-fledged and institutional Cyber Security Unit, led by an Additional Inspector General of Police (IGP), to enhance the Bangladesh Police’s capacity to combat cybercrime. He said the initiative has been taken to utilise police personnel with expertise in engineering, information technology and computer science.
The Home Minister made the remarks while delivering his opening speech at the 21st meeting of the Board of Directors of the Bangladesh Police Staff College in Mirpur, Dhaka, on Tuesday.
Salahuddin Ahmed said investigations and forensic analysis of various digital crimes are currently being conducted through the Police Headquarters, the Cyber Unit of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Although these activities are conducted on an ad hoc basis in many cases, a permanent and coordinated structure is needed to combat cybercrime.
He said many members of the police force have backgrounds in engineering, IT and computer science. A plan is underway to establish a Cyber Security Unit under the leadership of an Additional IGP by utilising their expertise.
Emphasising the importance of training for police personnel, the Home Minister said the government is placing importance on enhancing the capability and morale of the police through various training programmes. He said opportunities for international-standard training should be increased alongside internal training to make master trainer-level officers more effective and skilled.
He said professional skills of officers would be enhanced, if necessary, by bringing trainers from abroad and developing modern facilities. The police force must remain fully prepared to combat any form of crime, including those committed in cyberspace, he added.
The Home Minister said the training activities of the Bangladesh Police Staff College should be made more effective while increasing opportunities to acquire modern knowledge and skills. Necessary initiatives would be taken in this regard, he said.
The meeting discussed various issues, including the proposal of the MRT for land use at the Police Staff College, allocation of funds for the foreign component of mandatory training courses, establishment of a full-fledged and independent research and innovation centre under the college, and government approval of the college’s regulations. The meeting also discussed mandatory training as a priority condition for promotion and posting, organising training in Bangladesh and sending trainees abroad as a member institution of the International Association of Police Academies (INTERPA), infrastructure development, and launching Master’s courses in Forensic Science and Financial Crime and Governance.
Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors Monzur Morshed Chowdhury, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration Md Kamruzzaman Chowdhury, IGP Md Ali Hossain Fakir, Rector of BPATC Saied Mahbub Khan, Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr A.B.M. Obaidul Islam and others concerned were present at the meeting.
Later, the Home Minister inspected the campus of the Police Staff College.
