1. State defense is no longer confined to physical borders*:

There was a time when state security meant borders, soldiers, and weapons.
Today, that definition has changed. The arteries of the state are now data, the nervous system is networks, and the heart is digital infrastructure.
Standing in this reality, Bangladesh is moving toward becoming a digital state without establishing a National Cyber Command—this constitutes a profound strategic risk.
The establishment of a National Cyber Command is no longer an option; it is an unavoidable prerequisite for national security.
*2. The threat is not imaginary; it is an ongoing reality*:
*Fact–1: The continuity and escalation of cyber attacks*:
In recent years, government websites, educational institutions, the financial sector, and citizen service platforms have been facing regular cyber attacks.
DDoS, data breaches, phishing, ransomware—all forms of threats are present.
In many cases, the sources of these attacks are international, making them transnational threats.
➡️ This clearly proves that these are no longer isolated crimes; rather, they are low-intensity forms of cyber warfare.
*Fact–2: Responsibilities exist, but there is no central command*:
Currently in Bangladesh:
BGD e-GOV CIRT
Cyber units of law enforcement agencies
Cells within Bangladesh Bank and the financial sector
Separate security structures in the telecom and power sectors
But:
There is no central operational command
No single authority has the power to make final decisions
Coordinated real-time defense is not possible
➡️ The state exists, infrastructure exists—but the command and control structure is absent.
*Fact–3: Critical infrastructure is at the highest risk*:
Bangladesh’s:
Power and energy systems
Mobile Financial Services (MFS)
Banking and payment gateways
Aviation and traffic management
National databases
All of these are now digitally dependent.
But their cyber security is:
Fragmented
Sector-based
Without a centralized threat picture
➡️ There is a real risk of a chain reaction in the event of a major attack.

*3. The wrong path: where the state has made strategic mistakes*:

*Mistake–1: Reducing cyber security to a law-and-order issue*:
In Bangladesh, cyber security has long been viewed through the lens of—
Posts
Comments
Freedom of expression
Control.
As a result:
Protection of national infrastructure has lagged behind
Offensive–Defensive cyber capabilities have not developed
Cyber security has come to mean “cases and arrests”
➡️ This is a fundamental strategic mistake.
*Mistake–2: A reactive policy—moving only after attacks*:
State actions are often limited to—
Alerts after attacks
Investigations after data leaks
Press releases after websites go down
But:
Proactive threat hunting
Red Team–Blue Team exercises
War-game simulations
Are absent or extremely limited.
➡️ The truth that preparation cannot begin after a war starts has been ignored.
*Mistake–3: Not treating human resources as a strategic state asset*:
Bangladesh has skilled cyber professionals*.
But:
The state has not created structures to retain them
Nor granted them decision-making authority.
As a result:
They are leaving the country
Or working outside the state framework.
➡️ The soldiers exist, but they are not in the state barracks.
*Mistake–4: Imbalance between digitalization and security*:
Digital services have been launched rapidly—
But:
Security by Design
Data Classification
Zero Trust Architecture
Were not prioritized.
➡️ This is tantamount to inviting future risks.
*4. Why a National Cyber Command is now indispensable*:
Without a National Cyber Command, Bangladesh will not be able to—
Conduct cyber warfare at the state level
Aggregate real-time threat intelligence across all sectors
Protect critical infrastructure
Classify cyber attacks as national security threats
Take a strong position in regional and global cyber diplomacy
A National Cyber Command means:
Unified leadership
Rapid decision-making
Coordinated defense
Strategic deterrence
Conclusion: Time is over; only the decision remains
The question facing Bangladesh now is no longer—
“Do we need a National Cyber Command?”
The question is—
How much more damage will it take for the state to recognize this as urgent?
If the state still:
Fails to recognize cyberspace as a battlefield
Fails to establish a central command
Then the future cost will not be measured in money, but in sovereignty.
The establishment of a National Cyber Command is therefore not a luxury—
It is the final preparation to protect Bangladesh’s digital existence.