The newly set up Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) begins functioning this month. It will investigate only highly sensitive cases, like the US Federal Bureau of Investigation. The PBI has state-of-the-art technology at its disposal, police sources told The Independent on Friday evening. In the beginning, a PBI unit will be working under an additional police superintendent in each district. Later, the Bureau will begin operations in all metropolitan cities. According to sources at the police headquarters, the PBI was formed to reduce the workload of police stations and carry out proper investigation of sensitive cases.
The new unit is yet to get an office of its own in the capital and will be working from the second floor of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Command and Control Centre, said assistant police commissioner (media) of the DMP, Abu Yusuf. Initially, the PBI will have 1,000 personnel, which will increase as time passes. It will soon comple training and ground intelligence activities
According to the present set-up of the PBI, a deputy inspector general (DIG) will head the force; two additional deputy inspectors general of police (Adl DIGs) will head the PBI’s East and West Zones; there will be nine superintendents of police (SPs), 70 additional police superintendents (Adl SPs), four assistant superintendents of police (ASPs), 210 inspectors, 280 sub-inspectors (SIs), 121 assistant sub-inspectors (ASIs) and 242 constables.
A senior officer of the PBI told The Independent that most of the staff have already joined the unit.
The PBI will not be a traditional unit, rather it would be a special wing of the police, another officer said. “We will be assisting the other units of the police”, he added.
Talking to The Independent on Friday evening, Habibur Rahaman, Dhaka district police superintendent, said: “Cases will be handed over to the PBI considering their importance after they are filed in police stations.” The general police force has to perform several tasks like guarding MPs, ministers, and even relief work when a natural calamity like earthquake takes place, the district police chief said. But the PBI will only be investigating mainly difficult cases, he added.
On October 18 last year, the government formed the PBI. Some members of the regular force started working in the PBI from December 22.
-With The Independent input
