Dhaka: Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed announced today that the government is taking significant steps to enhance cyber security by establishing modern cyber security units and specialized laboratories across all divisional headquarters. This initiative extends to the Police Headquarters, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), and the Detective Branch (DB) to address the rapid evolution of digital offenses.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the Home Minister made these remarks during the 43rd anniversary event of the Crime Reporters' Association of Bangladesh (CRAB) held at its office in Segunbagicha. He emphasized the transformative impact of digitalization on criminal activity, with a substantial portion now occurring in cyberspace.
The minister highlighted that law enforcement agencies are increasingly relying on digital forensics, location tracking, and electronic device analysis to investigate crimes and compile admissible evidence for court proceedings. The planned infrastructure includes the establishment of district-level cyber security units staffed by dedicated officers.
He further explained that police stations at the sub-district (upazila) and local (thana) levels would receive technical support from these district and divisional facilities. Addressing the challenges posed by transnational organized crime, the minister noted that cyber scams, digital extortion, and impersonation of law enforcement officials are becoming major global offenses.
The decentralized security architecture aims to strengthen defenses against both local and cross-border criminal networks. Moreover, to address issues like online betting and cyber-enabled financial crimes, which were not covered by the outdated 1867 Gambling Act, the government has enacted modern legislation with stricter penalties and targeted legal definitions.
Parliament member Shafiqul Islam Masud, DMP Commissioner Mosleh Uddin Ahmed, Prime Minister's Assistant (Political) Md Rashed Khan, and Managing Director of Bangladesh Sangbadik Kalyan Trust, Mohammad Abdul Basir, also spoke at the event. CRAB General Secretary M M Badshah moderated the program, where speakers praised CRAB's 43-year contribution to journalism and expressed hope for its continued tradition of objective reporting.