DHAKA, Apr 28, 2026 (BSS) - The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), a specialized unit of the country’s main law enforcement agency, has sought increased manpower and enhanced facilities to discharge its responsibilities with more efficiency. 

“We have sent two separate proposals to the Home Ministry to increase seeking more manpower and our own designated office buildings to perform duties with more dynamism and efficiency,” PBI chief and police’s additional inspector general (Addl. IGP) Mohammad Mustafa Kamal told BSS today. 

PBI was established in 2012 as a specialized police unit, initially with 970 personnel, entrusted with the tasks to carry on investigations of complex and sensational criminal cases by specially trained manpower equipped with hi-tech devices. 

The unit is specially trained for crime scene management, evidence collection, and quick case disposal while the PBI also set up a specialized unit comprises specially trained officers to operate counter terrorism activities, investigate cybercrimes, organized crimes, and transnational offenses.

Kamal said the unit sought appointment of 5,000 more officials while its current strength was 2,031, who were operating from rented office buildings in 42 out of 64 administrative districts.

Apart from the additional IGP, the PBI personnel included two deputy inspectors general (DIGs), five additional DIGs, 49 special police superintendents (SSPs), 28 additional SSPs, eight ASPs, 322 inspectors, five sergeants, 483 sub-inspectors (SIs), 335 ASIs, 20 nayaks, and 622 constables.

The unit is currently equipped with 14 jeeps (SUVs), 71 pickups, four microbuses, two trucks, one bus, one bomb disposal van, two crime scene management vans, one high-risk operation van, 190 motorcycles, one car, eight taxicabs, one prison van, and seven ambulances. 

“With enhanced manpower and facilities, the PBI aims to expand its presence to all 64 districts across the country,” Kamal said.

He said the unit has already identified 20 government locations for constructing permanent office buildings for PBI as “we face numerous challenges to operate our activities in rented buildings”. 

The PBI chief said the unit sent two separate proposals to the home ministry few months ago and now eagerly awaited the government response and “once we get the desired manpower and our own buildings, we will be able to ensure global standard investigations.” 

“The expanded manpower and facilities will enable us to expose to justice the offenders without delay allowing victims to receive justice and strengthen the rule of law,” he said. 

A police headquarters (PHQ) official familiar with the PBI demand said a recent high-level meeting chaired by the IGP on April 19, decided to formally place their proposals directly before Prime Minister Tarique Rahman during the upcoming Police Week.