DHAKA — Bangladesh Police has launched a dedicated Cyber Police Unit to strengthen cybercrime investigations, digital security and technology-driven policing as criminal activities increasingly evolve in the era of artificial intelligence. Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed formally inaugurated the specialised unit at the Hall of Pride at Police Headquarters on Thursday.
Speaking at a press briefing after the inauguration, the home minister said the rapid development of artificial intelligence and changing patterns of crime require law enforcement agencies to move beyond conventional policing and adopt technology- and knowledge-based approaches.
“In the era of artificial intelligence, the nature of crime is changing rapidly. Our policing system must evolve accordingly. The Cyber Police Unit is a major step towards transforming Bangladesh Police into a modern, technology-driven and knowledge-based force,” he said.
The new unit represents a major institutional step toward establishing a technology-led policing framework capable of responding to increasingly sophisticated cyber and digital crimes. The Cyber Police Unit will be headed by an Additional Inspector General of Police (Additional IGP). Mohammad Iqbal Hossain has initially been assigned to lead the unit.
At the divisional level, deputy inspectors general (DIGs) and additional DIGs will oversee cyber-policing activities. At the district level, superintendents of police (SPs) or designated senior officers will be responsible for cyber-related operations.
Dedicated sub-inspectors, assistant sub-inspectors and constables will also be deployed at police stations to provide cyber-related services and assist with investigations. According to the approved organisational structure, the unit will have a total strength of 4,592 personnel. Initially, experienced and trained members of the existing police force will be deployed, while additional recruitment will be carried out to fill the remaining positions.
The government is also creating a specialised technical workforce within the unit through contractual and outsourced recruitment of professionals with expertise in cyber security and digital investigations. The unit plans to recruit specialists in areas including system analysis, financial data analysis, cyber security, network administration, dark-web analysis, cryptocurrency analysis, malware analysis, social-media analysis, emergency response and disaster recovery. These specialists will be recruited under separate competitive remuneration arrangements.
IT-trained members of the regular police force will receive priority for deployment to the unit, while senior officers and technical specialists will undergo advanced training both in Bangladesh and abroad. A modern digital forensic laboratory is also being established under the Cyber Police Unit. The facility will be equipped with advanced technology and specialised tools for cyber investigations.
The laboratory is expected to support investigations involving financial crimes, money laundering, social-media-related offences, misinformation, drug-related crimes and extremist activities conducted through digital platforms. The home minister said the new structure would also bring together cyber-investigation activities that had previously been carried out separately by different police units.
“Cyber investigations were previously carried out in a fragmented manner across different units. The new Cyber Police Unit will bring these activities under a single, coordinated framework, helping us improve investigative efficiency, technological capability and institutional coordination,” he said.
Salahuddin Ahmed expressed hope that the specialised unit would strengthen Bangladesh’s capacity to prevent and investigate cybercrime and address the misuse of cyberspace. Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Manzur Morshed Chowdhury, Inspector General of Police Md Ali Hossain Fakir, and other senior police officials attended the briefing.
