Additional Inspector General of Police Iqbal Hossain has been appointed to head the newly formed Cyber Police Unit, which will have a sanctioned strength of 4,592 personnel.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed announced the formation of the specialised unit at an event in Dhaka on Thursday.
The unit will have specialists in cyber security, financial data analysis, cryptocurrency, malware and dark-web analysis, among other fields.
Salahuddin said the unit would be headed by an additional IGP, with DIGs and additional DIGs overseeing operations at the headquarters and divisional levels. Police superintendents will lead the unit’s activities at the district level, while dedicated sub-inspectors, assistant sub-inspectors and constables will work at police stations.
Of the 4,592 posts approved for the unit, personnel will initially be drawn from the existing police force. Additional recruitment will be carried out later to fill the remaining positions, the minister said.
He said the unit would be equipped with modern cyber-related technology and developed as a technology- and expertise-driven organisation.
With cybercrime and artificial intelligence-related activities increasing, conventional policing alone was no longer sufficient, he said, stressing the need for greater use of digital technology and forensic methods.
The minister said forensic and digital laboratories are increasingly important in investigating crimes including drug trafficking, gambling, terrorism, money laundering, financial crimes and cyber offences.
Previously, cybercrime-related activities were handled by different units in a fragmented manner, resulting in a lack of coordination, he said. The new unit would bring these activities under a more organised structure.
Specialists to be recruited
The unit will have provisions for recruiting specialists alongside regular police personnel.
Among the proposed specialist positions are system analyst, financial data analyst, cyber security expert, emergency response consultant, network administrator, disaster recovery expert, content developer, crypto analyst, malware analyst, dark-web analyst, communications expert and social media analyst.
The specialists may be recruited on a contractual basis and will have a separate salary and benefits structure from regular police personnel, according to the minister.
Police officers with relevant expertise or an interest in specialised training will also be considered for the unit.
Suitable officers will receive advanced training at home and abroad, he said, adding that a group of senior officers had already been selected for overseas training.
The government will also provide incentives to specialists contributing to the unit, the minister said.
Cyber Security Act under review
Salahuddin said the Cyber Security Act was also being updated.
He said the government had held several consultations with journalists, editors and relevant experts on proposed amendments and would continue seeking their opinions.
The revised law would seek to define cyber offences more clearly while protecting religious and social harmony, he said.
The government was also considering safeguards to prevent innocent or unrelated people from being harassed through misuse of the law.
“This is a very sensitive law, so we are taking time. We will bring the bill after discussions with everyone,” the minister said.
Existing cyber units to come under new structure
Asked whether existing police cybercrime units and relevant activities of the Criminal Investigation Department would be brought under the new unit, the minister said the government was consolidating existing cybercrime operations.
He said previously scattered activities would now be brought under an umbrella structure to improve coordination.
The headquarters in Dhaka will be headed by an additional IGP, while DIG-level officers will oversee operations at the divisional level and SP-level officers at the district level.
At police stations, inspectors will lead the unit, supported by sub-inspectors, assistant sub-inspectors and other personnel.
Field-level officers will receive specialised training, while experts will be recruited on a contractual basis at the headquarters and divisional levels, he said.
