RAJSHAHI, April 27, 2022 (BSS) - A newly established forensic laboratory
has infused dynamism into the activities of identifying criminals, detecting
crimes and examining evidence.

    After Dhaka and Chattogram, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of
Bangladesh Police established the divisional laboratory in a four-storey
building at Police Line Compound in the city on February 3, 2020.

    "We are being benefitted enormously with establishment of the laboratory
in Rajshahi as we are getting reports of different tests related to crimes
quickly," said Mazharul Islam, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Boalia Model Police
Station.

    As they are getting a test report within shortest possible time they are
enabled to submit charge-sheets to the court quickly resulting in quick start
of trial in court, he added.

    OC Islam said they are getting viscera report quickly and they are
getting identity of unidentified body from the fingerprint report.

    "Earlier, it took a long time to get laboratory reports and this delayed
investigations, and sometimes evidence would be damaged," said the police
officer, adding that the lab has expedited investigations in these regions.

     With this breakthrough, a significant change has been witnessed in this
sector. "We have to wait a long time to get viscera reports around two to
three years back," he said, adding that investigation of any case was delayed
due to delay in getting reports from Dhaka.

    The lab has scopes of spotting chemical, ballistics, handwriting,
fingerprint, micro-analysis, footprint and fake-note. There are facilities
for testing various items including viscera, narcotics and acid in the
chemical laboratory.

    A special crime scene unit has been added to the lab to collect evidence
from the scene of crime. There are finger and footprint sections and
handwriting analysis and photography sections to match prints collected and
accelerate investigations.

    Head of the CID Lab Special Superintendent of Police Sohel Ahmed said the
forensic lab has been playing a vital role in unearthing the facts of various
sensational cases since the time of its launching.

    "The laboratory is well-equipped with highly specialised and
sophisticated equipment of international standards. It is competent to carry
out any chemical examination and documentation," he added.

    All the branches including fingerprint, handwriting, fake-note,
photography, ballistics, microscopic and footprint in the laboratory have
been equipped with modern machinery and devices to provide flawless expert
reports after testing the respective signs and symptoms.

    In 2021, 12,699 samples of 367 cases were examined in the forensic
division, while around 39,000 samples of 26,000 cases in the chemical
division.

    Apart from this, 1,730 crime scene samples of 290 cases were tested in
addition to fingerprints to identify 41 bodies.

    Evidence of cases filed with Rajshahi and Rangpur metropolitan and range
police are being tested in the lab. The lab has been contributing a lot
towards reducing hassle as sending evidence from one division to another
requires time, leading to delays.

    Its chemical laboratories are helping uncover the presence of intoxicants
in dead bodies, even those dug up from graves. It's also be used to test
explosives or acid to find out how they were made, CID officials said.

    Initially, a 51-member team has been deployed at the lab.