Police Reform Programme

I am very honored to be here at the inauguration of the very first Cybercrime Seminar hosted by the Bangladesh Police and Police Reform Programme in Dhaka. I particularly welcome our friends from Australia, Hong Kong, Nepal and Sri Lanka who have kindly agreed to participate in the event.

In the words attributed to the Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, there is nothing permanent but change. These words, written almost 2,500 years ago, are very true today: we are living in a constantly-changing world. The most rapid pace of change that we see is in the world of computers or the information and communication technology. If you look around today, there are many technological innovations and devices that are commonplace now but that were not around 5, 10 or 15 years ago: mobile phones, laptop computers, flat screen TV’s, thumb drives, portable music players and so on. Some of these have been around for quite some time now and changed dramatically over time: your current mobile phone is probably no bigger than a bar of soap, has a color screen, can store more information than a computer that guided the Apollo space mission in the 60’s and takes photographs and videos. 10 years ago, a mobile phone could only make calls, a serious lack of features by today’s standards, and was a size of a small brick. 15 years ago, you needed a suitcase to carry your mobile phone.

Computer technology enters into our life with an increasing speed. More and more people are using information and communications to pay their bills, do shopping and communicate with each other. The Internet, worldwide computer network, grows at a phenomenal rate. With a variety of information and other resources available at the fingertips, the Internet starts to take over from the traditional communication channels such as the TV, radio and press and introduces new forms of communications media. It is estimated that there are now more than one billion users of Internet worldwide. Governments, public and private organizations depend more and more on information and communications technology: it supports access to and exchange of information, electronic transactions, records and financial management to name but a few key areas.

This technological revolution has not reached every corner of the globe yet and the experts talk about the information-rich and information-poor countries. There are many challenges to overcome in delivering the benefits of the computer age to those who are not able to access them at present. There are also many other important priorities that have to be addressed such as adequate healthcare and education. But, even with these challenges and priorities, developing countries such as Bangladesh are striving to ensure that their citizens have access to the same services and facilities as citizens in more industrialized nations.

It is unfortunate that, with all the possibilities that the new technology offers for progress and development, the same technology can be used for malicious and criminal purposes. We have heard other speakers talk earlier on this morning about the initiatives, cooperation and challenges in dealing with cybercrime. The rapid pace of technological change is also applicable to the emergence of new opportunities that the technology presents to criminals and a rapid change in criminal activities. A couple of years ago, fishing spelled with “F” was a pleasant activity with a fishing rod or a net where you could land yourself a nice meal for you and your family. Today, phishing, spelled with “PH”, is an activity with a fake web site or e-mail where one can land credit card or bank account details.

Cybercrime, as a transnational crime, is a global issue with a global impact. As quoted in the Internet Law News, cybercrime has grown to be larger than illicit drug sales worldwide and the analysts estimate that online fraud will bring in US$105 billion in 2007 alone. It is further estimated that the cost of data loss due to malicious activity will reach US $ 40 billion worldwide. Increased sophistication of cybercrime attacks and vulnerability of information available online is a serious concern for institutions, law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders. Victims of these attacks are not just private citizens or organizations with limited resources available to protect themselves but very large companies including the Citigroup and Bank of America. On a much larger scale, earlier on this year hackers launched multiple cyber-attacks against the Information technology infrastructure of Estonia, a small country on the Baltic coast. Over a 3–week period, hackers attacked websites and computer systems of the Estonian president’s office, Estonian parliament, almost all of government ministries, political parties, three out of six news organizations and two of the biggest banks. It is alleged that Estonian police and military computer infrastructure were also targeted. This is the first example of a computer attack against a state, bordering on cyberterrorism.

The cost of cybercrime is a burden on developing countries but combating the cybercrime is a necessity. Information Economy Report 2005, released by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), said that cybercrime and poor information security could deter the application of information technologies and the business use of Internet that may help to increase commerce, investment, innovation and productivity. The same report recommended establishing of legislation criminalizing cybercrime activities and enabling the police to adequately investigate and prosecute such activities, expansion of training on information security and international cooperation between industrialized and developing countries on technical and policy matters.

Over the next couple of days, participants in the Seminar will discuss and exchange information on the response to cybercrime, ranging from legislative issues through resources and skills required to future trends and international cooperation. I do urge all of the participants to make the best use of this opportunity and to participate actively in the event. It may be the first event of this kind hosted in Dhaka but I do not believe that it will be the last. I am also confident that the collaboration and cooperation initiated with our overseas colleagues present here today will last for years to come.

It is now my sincere pleasure to declare the Regional Cybercrime Seminar formally open.

Thank you.

Address by the Acting IGP & National Programme Director

Your Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Police Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen.

I am very happy to be here with you today at the inauguration of a Regional Cybercrime Seminar. It is indeed the very first time that the Bangladesh Police had the opportunity to organize such event. In my capacity as the acting Inspector General of Police and as the National Project Director of the Police Reform Program, I see the event that will take place over the next 2 and a half days as the very embodiment of the cooperation between the Bangladesh Police, PRP, Bangladesh Government, our donor partners and our stakeholders. I am very grateful for the input provided by all the parties involved in staging the Seminar to ensure that it is successful.

Cybercrime does not know borders. The same technology that brings people of the world closer together has a darker side, making it easier for criminal or malicious elements to steal, destroy, corrupt, defraud and exploit. They do not have to be near - they can do so from another country or continent and often with impunity. As we strive to overcome the so-called “digital divide” between the developed and developing nations, bringing to all education, telecommunications, information and other resources needed to be a part of the global economy, it is our duty to ensure that the information society that we are creating remains safe and secure. We owe it not just to ourselves but also to the generations that will come after us.

Pursuit of cybercriminals is not an easy task. Electronic crimes can be committed across borders, hampering law enforcement agencies and the legal system in their effort to bring cybercriminals to justice. Although one can try to extradite the offender, lack of adequate legislation in some countries makes it very difficult to extradite someone who committed a crime without ever setting foot in the country seeking extradition. This does not solely apply to the developing countries as many developed countries struggle to deal with electronic crime as well.

Computer technology and Internet enable malicious acts to be committed almost anonymously and with an alarming speed. Even the least computer-aware among us are familiar with computer viruses spreading from one computer to another, destroying information, creating security holes and causing financial losses due to loss of productivity. A case study of a computer virus, released by a young hacker in early 2000, highlights the huge imbalance between the crime and the punishment caused by the lack of adequate legislative measures to deal with the issue.

The case study, published by the University of Dayton Law School, estimated that the virus affected 270, 000 computers world-wide within hours of its release and that it caused losses of US $10 billion, destroying computer files and affecting e-mail operation in over 20 different countries. The investigators dealing with the case tracked the perpetrator to one of the South-East Asia countries. Their efforts to bring the person to justice were severely affected due to lack of applicable legislation that could be used to justify the issue of a search warrant and that would deem his act as a criminal one. After many days of delay, the offender was finally charged with theft and credit card fraud but the charges were dropped due to the lack of relevance and lack of adequate evidence. If the same person walked into a bank and attempted to steal $10 billion, the outcome would have been very much different. One of the IT industry leaders commented that penalties for robbing a supermarket are harsher than penalties for stealing millions of dollars electronically.

Cybercrime is not an issue that will go away: it will continue and, with new technologies emerging, it will remain a constant challenge for both domestic and international law enforcement agencies. New forms of cybercrime will appear and new opportunities for criminals. Criminals will take advantage of new technology to communicate across borders, to conceal evidence and to launder money. Not all of it will be through transnational organized crime – availability of computer and Internet technology make it easy for an individual to become a transnational cybercriminal.

Response measures to deal with these issues need to allow powers of investigation that can obtain evidence from many sources and rapidly. International cooperation is required to ensure that there is no room for exploitation of gaps or loopholes and for creation of safe-haven’s. We are used to dealing with criminal offences committed within jurisdictions defined by our territorial boundaries – international cooperation will be also required to deal with cybercrimes where the perpetrator and the victim are located in different countries. In the recent times, we have seen many examples where law enforcement agencies successfully cooperated across national boundaries to apprehend offenders: the very recent case of a paedophile arrested in Thailand for offences committed in Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia after the Interpol published unscrambled version of his digitally altered photographs from a child pornography site is one of them.

These complex issues present challenges for legal systems. The effort associated with training skilled investigators and prosecutors and keeping them up to date with the new technological and criminal developments will place strain even on wealthy countries. It is therefore not a coincidence that just over a month ago Interpol Secretary General called for the establishment of integrated Global Cybercrime Investigation Network. The Network would use National Central Reference Points and the Interpol’s secure I-24/7 communications system to facilitate the prevention, investigation and prosecution of cybercrime. The facility would allow police jurisdictions around the world to identify and obtain assistance from experts in other countries. The Secretary-General also called for closer cooperation of law enforcement agencies and private companies, partnering together to create specialist joint units ready to respond to national cyber-threats.

We see this event as one of the first steps that the Bangladesh Police takes to ensure that it is ready to take up the challenge of combating cybercrime. We are aware that it will take some effort to develop our capability to deal with this global menace but, as demonstrated by our participation in the today’s event, we are committed to learn from experiences of others and to make start. It is now the time for the Bangladesh Police to transform from a police organization impacted by outdated laws, procedures and processes into a modern-day police service well prepared to serve and partner with the community. Our citizens may not have full or common access to the information highway yet but the time will come soon when they will and we want to be ready. As cybercrime is a global issue, we also want to make sure that our country is a good, I’ll even say a model, global citizen in this respect. Today we take one of first steps towards such goal.

Thank you.

Address by the Deputy Country Director, UNDP

Your Excellency the Australian High Commissioner, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen.

I do feel quite privileged to be here at the inauguration of the Regional Cybercrime Seminar. As I understand, it is the first time that the Bangladesh Police organized an event of this kind with overseas participants and it is a special occasion. It is also very special because it marks the beginning of a new period for the Bangladesh and the Bangladesh Police where, in a desire to become a member of the global information society, first steps are being taken towards ensuring that it is done in a responsible manner and without harm or adversity to anyone.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations member states in 1948, proclaims fundamental rights and freedoms that shall be afforded to every person. Article 12 of the Declaration states that “No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.” This very fundamental right, stated over fifty years ago when the concepts of the Internet and cyberspace did not even exist, is still very much applicable today. Since the proclamation of the Declaration, the world may have become much more complex place: when these words were written, there was no electronic e-mail or electronic chat used for correspondence and communication and the protection of privacy did not need to concern itself with the concept of computer hacking or cyber-stalking. No matter what changes took place in the way that we communicate or what new risks emerge to our privacy, family or home, it is still everyone’s right to be protected by law.

Just over seven years ago, the world leaders met at the United Nations Millennium Summit to consider the challenges of the new millennium. The Millennium Declaration they adopted reaffirmed many fundamental values such as freedom to live in dignity, free from hunger and fear of violence, oppression or injustice; equality of individuals and nations in the opportunity to benefit from development; and shared responsibility between the nations for managing worldwide economic and social development. The Declaration, which sets out the Millennium Development Goals, also resolved to intensify the fight against the transnational crime, of which cybercrime is one dimension, and to ensure that the benefits of new technologies are available to all. Very importantly, as one of the means of protecting the vulnerable, the Declaration called for the implementation of protocols against child pornography.

I do place a particular emphasis on this last point. In our drive towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and towards the universal access to the technology it will be a challenge to ensure that those who are to benefit from it most, our children and youth, can do so without the fear of exploitation and without the violation of their fundamental right to dignity. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC, estimates that there are 14 million pornography sites containing estimated 1 million pornographic images of children and that organized child pornography rings around the world have between 50,000 to 100,000 members. These are shocking statistics, clearly indicating the magnitude of the problem on a global scale.

Although these risks cannot be ignored and have to be dealt with, we should not overlook the potential and the role of information and communication technology, ICT, in accelerating growth, in promoting of sustainable development and the eradication of poverty. The opportunities provided by ICT for economic growth and human development are immense. ICT can shape and enhance a wide range of applications: electronic commerce, employment creation, investment opportunities, improved agricultural and manufacturing productivity, long distance education, tele-medicine, environmental management and disaster prevention. There is an enormous capacity for empowerment, including women and youth, for building of skills, for reinforcement of popular participation and for informed decision-making at all levels. ICT should complement and enhance efforts to develop and modernize basic sectors of the economy, particularly in the developing countries.

Under its mandate for making the world a better and a safer place for all, the United Nations is determined to ensure that these benefits and opportunities are not eroded by threats presented by the electronic crime. In addition to the key work of agencies such as the Interpol and UNODC, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), of which Bangladesh is a member, was entrusted with the task of building confidence and security in the use of ICT, considered fundamental to creation of an inclusive global information society. Very recently, the Secretary-General of ITU released the Global Cybersecurity Agenda, an international framework for the development of a coherent strategy to deal with the legal, technical and institutional challenges responding to cybercrime. With wide international and industry membership, the ITU is a suitable forum for the development of such strategy. The Agenda focuses on five key areas: Legal Framework, Technical Measures, Organizational Structures, Capacity Building and International Cooperation. The goals defined by the Agenda include strategies for the development of model cybercrime legislation, global strategies for the creation of organizational structures and policies on cybercrime and strategies for the development of a global framework for security protocols, standards and accreditation.

There is much work to be done at the international and national levels to formulate solutions and approaches suitable to deal with cybercrime – one of the fastest-growing criminal activities of this day and age. I applaud the first steps that you are about to take but I will also leave you with some words of caution. The same universal human rights that protect our privacy, our families and our homes also protect our right to freedom of opinion and expression and to seeking, receiving and imparting information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. We should not confuse this with attempts to publish or disseminate racist, xenophobic or other content promoting hatred, discrimination or violence against individuals or groups of individuals – this in itself constitutes a violation of human rights. The required approach needs to be balanced and pragmatic, with proper consideration of the fundamental values that are the basis of our free and democratic society today. I wish you all well in your endeavour.

Thank you.

Welcome Address by Programme Manager, PRP

Your Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen.

It gives me a great pleasure today to welcome you all to the inauguration of a Regional Cybercrime Seminar. The Seminar, the first of this kind to take place in Dhaka, was organized by the Bangladesh Police and the Police Reform Programme with the assistance from the Australian Federal Police and with the participation of presenters from Hong Kong, Sri Lanka and Nepal.

As the Programme Manager of PRP, I take particular pride in the role that the Programme performs in assisting the Bangladesh Police in moving towards becoming a modern police service and I am grateful for the support that this effort received so far from the donor partners - UNDP, DFID and the European Commission, from countries such as Australia and from other stakeholders.

Although PRP started in 2005 and it took some time before the delivery of first outcomes, it is through the efforts of all involved in the Programme that the Police Reform in Bangladesh is now very much in the public eye and a focus for the media. Many of you are familiar with the Programme but perhaps many more are not aware of what the Programme achieved so far and what it plans to achieve. I would like to take few minutes to share with you some of the Programme’s successes and the vision that we have for the Police Reform in Bangladesh.

Policy Reform and Development is one of the key aspects of the reforms applicable to the Bangladesh Police. I am very pleased to tell you that several very important initiatives are currently under way in this area:

· A final draft Bangladesh Police Ordinance 2007 was prepared and presented by the drafting committee. The Ordinance will replace the Police Act of 1861, seen as a major stumbling block to modernization and transformation of the Bangladesh Police into a police service meeting modern day challenges and providing support to the Bangladesh people that they deserve.

· Preparation of amendments to the Police Regulations Bengal is underway, with a high-level advisory group and legal experts commencing their work in May 2007. The draft amendments are expected to be released later on this month.

· Work is nearing completion on a draft of the new Evidence Act to replace the legislation dating back to 1872. The proposed changes are currently with the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs for their assessment.

In addition to this important work on the new legislation, policies and strategies on gender issues, community policing, juvenile justice and training were also examined and new proposals put forward. A Gender Guideline for the Bangladesh Police has been finalized and is expected to be released shortly. The Police Reform Programme is also very active in developing the Crime Prevention and Community Safety approach with the Police Headquarters and police officers in the field. Training materials on Crime Prevention and Community Safety were developed for Thana police officers and a Bangladesh Police manual on Community Policing drafted.

Within the Juvenile Justice Roundtable PRP contributed towards the development of the National Plan of Action on Juvenile Justice. Based on the needs assessment, the training strategy for the Bangladesh Police, “From Training Need to Learning Approach”, has been developed and published. The developed strategy was the main agenda item discussed at the very first Heads of Police Training Institutes conference that took place recently. Still within the training reform agenda, the Constables Qualification Programme has been redesigned, ASP Qualification Programme review is underway and the review of the ASI programme is about to start.

Capacity building within the Bangladesh Police is another focus of PRP activities. You would have heard or read about the model thanas supported by the PRP around the country. To date, refurbishments at all 11 model thanas were completed providing facilities for community members attending the thana. Service centers at nine thanas, each equipped with computers, printers, scanners and telephone systems, were formally inaugurated with the initial community “Open Day” held on this occasion as well. Community “Open Days” have become now a regular event at thanas, with community members sharing their problems and police officers able to seek the community assistance.

Planning for the six new model thanas has been completed, site assessments and building plans approved and the construction work will commence in the very near future. These new thanas were designed totally from scratch with the police and community needs in mind and will serve as a blueprint for the construction of new police facilities in Bangladesh. Planning for the new Trafficking in Human Beings Victim Support Centre in Tejgaon has been completed and the equipment procurement commenced. Two forensic laboratories were established, one in Dhaka and one in Khulna, and equipped with the assistance from PRP.

PRP is supporting the Bangladesh Police in the procurement of systems and technologies that are the tools of trade for modern police jurisdictions. PRP experts are working alongside their Bangladesh Police colleagues on the procurement of systems such as the Automated Fingerprint Information System (AFIS), Integrated Ballistics Information System (IBIS), computer forensics facilities and the Command, Control and Communication (C3) System incorporating technologies such as terrestrial trunked radio, automated vehicle location (AVL) and video surveillance. PRP experts are sharing their technical knowledge and procurement know-how with their counterparts.

Capacity building through training is one of the approaches adopted by the Programme. Basic ICT training courses were delivered to 126 police officers from model thanas and other areas and Basic ICT course materials in Bangla developed. Three out of ten planned “Train the Trainer”, TTT, courses took place with 22 students in each course. Crime Scene Management training was delivered and additional crime scene and forensic training is planned with the trainers graduating from the “Train the Trainer” programme. Significantly, PRP provided training on human rights to RAB.

Overseas training and exchange of information is another facet of the capacity building through training. With the assistance from PRP, police training institutions and police jurisdictions in United Kingdom, Australia and Canada Bangladesh Police officers and officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs participated in overseas training and familiarized themselves with policing methods used elsewhere. Today, two police officers are commencing their training in the Canadian Police College in Ottawa on the use of Internet technology for investigations. Recently, senior police officers attended International Commanders Programme training with the UK Police College in Bramshill and Police Management training in Manley, Australia. Officers destined to work with the new Crime Investigation Unit received training on the use of modern investigation tools in UK and the head of the Police Telecom Branch attended police cybercrime conference in Australia, also visiting and familiarizing himself with police communication operations and training facilities there.

As you can see, PRP achieved quite a lot within a relatively short time since the full complement of international and national experts commenced the work on the Programme. There is still more to do and the Programme is already looking towards the next phase of operations and new milestones. The vision that the Programme has and shares with our Bangladesh Police colleagues is that of a modern police organization, well resourced and well trained to take on the challenges it faces. We see the organization with management structures, policies and guidelines upholding modern policing practices, being responsive to community, being supportive towards victims and disadvantaged and being accountable to its stakeholders. We see the police service, supported by a contemporary police legislation, maintaining and sustaining the momentum of reforms that we are initiating now, to become an example for others. This is the vision that we have and one that, hopefully, you would want to see achieved.

Today’s event is one of the important milestones towards reaching this vision. The Bangladesh Police is aware that, in this modern day and age, crime is not bound by borders and takes advantage of the technology available on the market. Cybercrime is an issue for police jurisdictions everywhere, not only in the countries that are very much e-developed and e-aware but also in the countries that are now embarking on the road to make the full use of the Information and Communications technology. Bangladesh Police and the PRP see this event as an opportunity not only to learn and exchange experiences on combating cybercrime but also to foster the future cooperation, leading towards strong regional response to cybercrime.

Thank you.