Dhaka, Dec 28 (V7N) — The Chairman of the National Cyber Security Council and Principal Advisor Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus has instructed the National Cyber Security Agency to ensure comprehensive cyber security measures in view of the upcoming parliamentary elections and referendum.

He made the directive during a National Cyber Security Council meeting held at the State Guest House Jamuna on Sunday. The Principal Advisor emphasized the need to enhance information technology capabilities and strictly address all types of cyber crimes, particularly in the context of elections.

Highlighting the government's ongoing efforts to bring citizen services online, Dr. Yunus stressed the importance of securing these services from cyber threats. He instructed concerned authorities to prioritize citizen service sectors, regularly update software and hardware, and improve the efficiency of associated manpower. He also recommended establishing a rating system for institutions and personnel to evaluate cyber security effectively.

Dr. Yunus further directed the National Cyber Security Agency to coordinate with the judiciary to ensure that financial sector crimes are thoroughly investigated and offenders are held accountable.

At the meeting, Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor Faiz Ahmed Tayyab noted that 35 institutions have already been listed as Critical Information Infrastructure and suggested adding more institutions to the list. He also stressed coordination between the National Cyber Security Agency and the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to combat misinformation, disinformation, and other cyber crimes ahead of the elections.

Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H. Mansur highlighted ongoing measures to strengthen cyber security in the banking sector and welcomed the initiative to form a Sectoral Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT).

The meeting was attended by Legal Advisor Dr. Asif Nazrul, ICT Secretary Sheesh Haider Chowdhury, Inspector General of Police Baharul Alam, National Board of Revenue Chairman Md. Abdur Rahman Khan, and other senior officials.

END/SMA/AJ