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The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and bKash have jointly organised a series of cyber security awareness workshops for around 1,100 female students at Viqarunnisa Noon School and College and two residential halls of the University of Dhaka.
Officials from the CID’s Cyber Police Centre (CPC) and bKash’s External Affairs Department shared practical guidance on protecting personal information online, conducting secure digital financial transactions and avoiding fraud.
The workshops covered the safe use of mobile financial services (MFS), drawing on real-life case studies of cyber risks. Discussions focused on keeping personal identification numbers (PINs) and one-time passwords (OTPs) confidential, identifying phishing links disguised as attractive offers, and promptly reporting suspicious activities through official channels.
Participants were also advised to verify online information before sharing it to prevent the spread of rumours and misinformation.
The first session was held at Viqarunnisa Noon School and College, where around 650 students took part. Md Jahidul Islam, BPM-Seba, additional deputy inspector general of the CID’s Cyber Police Centre, discussed different forms of cybercrime, personal data protection and strategies for mitigating online risks.
Sana Shaminur Rahman, DIG of the CPC, attended the event as the chief guest, while Major AKM Monirul Karim (retd), executive vice-president and head of External Affairs at bKash, was present as the special guest.
The programme later moved to the University of Dhaka, where 450 students participated in two sessions at Ruqayyah Hall and Shamsun Nahar Hall.
Md Shafiuddin Shaheen, acting DIG of the CPC, attended both sessions as the chief guest. The sessions were presided over by Ruqayyah Hall Provost Prof Dr Hosne Ara Begum and Shamsun Nahar Hall Provost Prof Dr Nasrin Sultana, respectively.
The organisers said similar awareness workshops would be introduced at other educational institutions across the country in phases.
While advanced technology and effective law enforcement are essential for digital security, a safe digital financial ecosystem also depends on vigilant and well-informed users, the organisers said.
With this objective, bKash has been conducting awareness workshops with law enforcement agencies, including the police, Detective Branch (DB), CID and Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), for investigating officers and bKash agents since 2017.
The company has now launched a dedicated initiative to educate young students about cyber security and safe digital financial practices, with plans to expand the programme to educational institutions nationwide.