Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon has said traditional concepts of security have undergone a qualitative shift in the modern era, asserting that ensuring cyber security is now more critical than guarding a thousand miles of border.
He was speaking as chief guest at Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party (VDP) media cell Prantik Konthoshor’s inauguration ceremony, held at the force’s headquarters in Khilgaon on Wednesday.
The event was organised under the theme “Somoyer Spondone, Akankha Purone” (In the pulse of time, in fulfilling aspirations).
Addressing the gathering, Swapon remarked that it is now more essential to keep a large business’s computers free from hackers than to guard its physical vault.
“War is not just a matter of weaponry, and communication is not merely the exchange of human voices,” he said, citing the central bank fund theft as a stark example of how security can be compromised through digital manipulation.
Swapon praised the innovative initiative to involve the force’s 6 million personnel in nation-building through modern and timely thinking, rather than keeping them confined to traditional roles.
He further noted that Prantik Konthoshor digital platform would constitute a significant part of the government’s information management plans.
Swapon commended the leadership of the force for understanding the distinction between analogue and digital systems and for adopting “digital leadership” to adapt to new realities.
Describing the ongoing trend of technological change as “dynamic,” he warned that there is no room for stagnation in one’s knowledge or mental outlook.
“We must remain dynamic in our thinking and stay within the continuous cycle of system upgrades. Otherwise, those who are considered modern today may become obsolete tomorrow,” Swapon cautioned.
He expressed his commitment to highlighting Prantik Konthoshor platform as an exemplary model for other government departments to follow.
The ceremony was chaired by VDP Director General Major General AM Sazzad Mahmud.
State Minister for Road Transport and Bridges and Ministry of Railways Habibur Rashid attended the programme as a special guest. Senior officials from the force’s headquarters were also in attendance.
