By Asraful Huq

DHAKA, Aug 31, 2026 (BSS) - The Ministry of Home Affairs is implementing 25 development schemes in the 2026-27 fiscal year as part of a broader drive to modernise Bangladesh’s internal security system, strengthen law enforcement, upgrade border management and expand emergency response capabilities.

The projects, being implemented by agencies including Bangladesh Police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Bangladesh Coast Guard, the Department of Immigration and Passports, Department of Narcotics Control, Department of Prisons, and Fire Service and Civil Defence represent a significant investment in both physical infrastructure and technology-driven security services.

According to project information compiled by Planning Wing-1 of the Home Ministry, the portfolio includes major initiatives covering police infrastructure, counter-terrorism, cybercrime investigation, e-passports, automated border control, border security, maritime operations, drug rehabilitation, prison facilities and fire services.

Among the largest schemes is the Construction of Administrative-cum-Barrack Buildings for Police Stations in Different Parts of the Country, with an estimated cost of Tk 16,240.45 crore.
The project is scheduled to run until June 2027.

Another major police infrastructure project, involving the construction of police stations, outposts, investigation centres, camps, river-police centres, railway-police facilities, tourist-police centres and highway-police stations, carries an estimated cost of Tk 7,075.49 crore and is scheduled to continue until September 2028.

The government is also investing heavily in specialised policing and security capabilities. The Counter-Terrorism and International Crime Prevention Centre of Bangladesh Police project has an estimated cost of Tk 3,537.43 crore.

While a separate initiative to enhance Dhaka Metropolitan Police capacity through equipment procurement carries an estimated cost of Tk 1,149.70 crore.

Digital security has emerged as another priority. The Safer Cyberspace for Digital Bangladesh: Enhancing National & Regional Digital Investigation Capacity of Bangladesh Police project has an estimated cost of Tk 590.87 crore, including government funding and project assistance, and is intended to strengthen police capacity to investigate cyber and technology-enabled crimes.

RAB, BGB and Coast Guard

The development programme also includes major investments in specialised security forces.

The RAB Forces Headquarters Construction Project has an estimated cost of Tk 5,456.54 crore and is scheduled to continue until December 2028.

Separate projects are aimed at increasing RAB’s operational, technical and technological capabilities.

For border security, the construction of 73 composite and modern Border Outposts (BOPs) has an estimated cost of Tk 2,365.50 crore.

Another project, with an estimated cost of Tk 2,230.24 crore, is aimed at developing infrastructure for the newly established 63 BGB Battalion in Gazipur.

The Bangladesh Coast Guard is also receiving substantial investment. Projects to establish logistics and fleet-maintenance facilities and procure replacement vessels have estimated costs of Tk 7,576.22 crore and Tk 23,148.29 crore, respectively.

E-passport project among biggest schemes
 
One of the ministry’s most strategically important initiatives is the Bangladesh e-Passport and Automated Border Control Management Project (1st Revised).
 
The project has an estimated cost of Tk 9,038.36 crore and is scheduled to continue until June 2028. It seeks to further digitise passport services and introduce more modern and efficient border-control mechanisms.

Drug rehabilitation and prison modernisation

The ministry’s development programme also includes a major focus on tackling drug abuse and improving rehabilitation services.

Projects under the Department of Narcotics Control include expansion and modernisation of the Dhaka Central Drug Addiction Treatment Centre, construction of drug treatment and rehabilitation centres in seven divisional cities, and construction of district offices.

The seven-divisional-city treatment and rehabilitation project has an estimated cost of Tk 1,413.15 crore and is scheduled to run until June 2028.

Meanwhile, the Department of Prisons is implementing projects for the expansion, modernisation and reconstruction of several correctional facilities.

These include the Mymensingh Central Jail expansion and modernisation project, reconstruction of Jamalpur and Cumilla central jails, construction of Narsingdi District Jail, and conservation and surrounding-area development of the historic Old Dhaka Central Jail complex.

Fire service capacity also in focus

The Fire Service and Civil Defence Directorate is implementing projects to expand ambulance services, build new fire stations, reconstruct existing facilities and provide residential accommodation for personnel.

A major project covering 20 fire stations—12 new and eight reconstructed facilities—has an estimated cost of Tk 650.96 crore.

A separate project for two multi-storey residential buildings has an estimated cost of Tk 65.12 crore.

Broad-based security modernisation

The 25 ongoing schemes collectively signal a broad shift in the Home Ministry’s development priorities—from conventional infrastructure expansion to a more integrated approach combining physical security infrastructure with digital investigation, automated immigration, modern border management, maritime capability and emergency response.

With several projects scheduled for completion during FY2026-27 and others extending into 2028 and beyond, the government expects the initiatives to strengthen the operational capacity of security agencies and improve the delivery of critical public-safety services across the country.