This is an independent civilian intelligence agency. Today, its internal security functions are similar to the British security service MI5, while the foreign intelligence function does not quite resemble the MI6. The NSI also has territorial units in all of the 64 districts of Bangladesh, headed by a Joint Director/Deputy Director.[4]
Being the only independent civilian intelligence agency in Bangladesh, the NSI's principal activities are gathering information about foreign governments, individuals, corporations, political parties, and different religious groups; counter-terrorism, counter-intelligence, political intelligence, and giving protection to the VIPs & VVIPs are among its major functions.[1]
Organization
National Security Intelligence is headed by a Director General (D.G.), who is a Secretary of Bangladesh Government or two-star military officer from Bangladesh Army. The key posts of this organization are Director, Additional Director, Joint Director, Deputy Director, and Assistant Director. Some other posts are Computer Engineer, Telephone Engineer, and Research Officer. Some directorates of NSI are Internal, Dhaka Wing, Border, External, Security, Media wing, Training, Political, Eco-Security, Administration, Research, Counter-Terrorism cell, and intelligence.
The force is mostly staffed by civil personnel. Officers are recruited by the Prime Minister's Office, Class-1 officers directly recruited by the agency start with the post of Assistant Director (Grade-9).[5]
The principal activities of the NSI National Security Intelligence are:
Gathering information by any or all means about foreign governments, organizations, individuals, and politicians; monitor Bangladeshi government officials, political parties, politicians, extremist groups, separatists, religious bodies, unions, popular movements, NGOs, and any other group or person who might be relevant to national security;
Upon executive orders carrying out or overseeing covert activities overseas, by its own employees, by members of the military, or by other partner forces.
Notable Foreign Operations
Yemen
On February 11, 2022, Lt. Col. (Retd.) Sufiul Anam, a Bangladeshi individual employed by the United Nations, was abducted from Yemen's Mudiah province by members of Al-Qaeda. A ransom of $3 million was demanded for his release. After 18 months in captivity, he was successfully rescued by the National Security Intelligence.[16]
NSI's name had appeared several times during the trial of the mysterious murder of labor rights activist Aminul Islam in April 2012. The only convict, Aminul's friend Mostafijur Rahman was found a mystery man, about whom no one knew much, who apparently had a cover job at an EPZ clinic and regularly met with security officers, is believed to be linked with NSI, though the court has not asked the agency for clarification and nor did the prosecution try to bring them, media has speculated such controversies, though denied by the agency.[17]
In Fiction
In the Web TV Series Contract (2021), Arifin Shuvoo played the character of Bastard a fictional codename of a retired NSI Agent and Hitman who was given the last task to hunt down an underworld drug lord named Black Ranju (played by Chanchal Chowdhury)
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