1. Cyber Security: The New Frontline of State Defense:
There was a time when state security meant borders, armed forces, and arsenals. But in the twenty-first century, the very definition of national security has fundamentally changed. Today, cyberspace has become the most sensitive and high-risk frontline of the state—where power grids, banking systems, elections, defense communications, and even public opinion are prime targets of attack.
Yet the unfortunate reality is that in Bangladesh, this critically important concept of cyber security has never been established as a strategic component of national security.
2. Misguided Direction of Cyber Security under Sheikh Hasina’s Rule:
During the fascist rule of Sheikh Hasina, the ICT and cyber security sector was administered by individuals who possessed limited or no strategic cyber knowledge, military–national security perspective, or capacity to understand international cyber threats.
Notably—
Sajeeb Wazed Joy
Syed Abul Hossain
Junaid Ahmed Palak
As the ICT Ministry and related policymaking became centralized in the hands of these individuals, cyber security was downgraded from a strategic national defense priority to a mere administrative and law-and-order issue.
3. Harassment through Cases in the Name of Cyber Security:
In no modern state is cyber security used solely as a tool for filing cases, making arrests, conducting digital surveillance, or suppressing dissent. Yet in Bangladesh—
The Cyber Security Act turned into an instrument of political repression
Cyber units functioned as factories for speech surveillance and case-filing
National infrastructure, data centers, SCADA systems, election servers—all remained largely unprotected
As a result, instead of developing Defensive or Offensive cyber capabilities, cyber security devolved into a fear-based control mechanism.
4. Offensive and Defensive Cyber Capability—Absence of State Preparedness:
An effective national cyber security framework rests on three pillars—
Defensive Cyber Capability
Critical Infrastructure Protection
Threat Detection & Incident Response
National SOC (Security Operations Center)
Offensive Cyber Capability
Deterrence Strategy
Adversary Capability Mapping
Cyber Warfare Readiness
Strategic Cyber Doctrine
National Cyber Risk Assessment
Inter-agency Coordination
Military–Civil Fusion
Under Sheikh Hasina’s rule, none of these three pillars were effectively developed in Bangladesh. Instead, the state itself remained confused—was cyber security a matter of national security, or merely a branch of policing?
5. Failure of National Cyber Risk Assessment and National Cyber Security Concept:
The direct consequences of this misguided practice are—
National Cyber Risk was never properly identified
No comprehensive National Cyber Security Strategy was ever implemented
Cyber threats were never treated as military or strategic threats
Coordination between ministries and defense institutions never developed
As a result, Bangladesh still does not know—
Which cyber attack constitutes an existential threat to the state
Which infrastructure is most vulnerable
Who will make decisions during wartime cyber scenarios.
6. The Need to Exit the Wrong Path:
If cyber security continues to be viewed merely as a law-and-order issue, it will become a cause of national catastrophe in the future. What is required—
To place cyber security at the core of national security policy,
To ensure leadership by strategic experts rather than political loyalists,
To establish a full-fledged National Cyber Command,
To develop both Offensive and Defensive capabilities.
Otherwise, Bangladesh will become digital—but not secure.