Directorate General of Forces Intelligence

Directorate General of Forces Intelligence

প্রতিরক্ষা গোয়েন্দা মহাপরিদপ্তর
Insignia of the DGFI
Flag of DGFI
Agency overview
Formed	1977; 47 years ago (1977)[1]
Preceding agency	Directorate of Forces Intelligence (1972–1977)
Headquarters	Dhaka Cantonment, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Motto	Watch and Listen for the nation, to protect national security.
Employees	Classified
Annual budget	Classified
Agency executive	Major General Mohammad Jahangir Alam, Director General
Parent department	Bangladesh Armed Forces
Parent agency	Ministry of Defence
Child agencies	Counter Terrorism and Intelligence Bureau National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre

The Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (Bengali: প্রতিরক্ষা গোয়েন্দা মহাপরিদপ্তর), commonly known by its acronym DGFI, is the defense intelligence agency of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, tasked with collection, collation and evaluation of strategic and topographic information, primarily through human intelligence (HUMINT).^[2] As one of the principal members of the Bangladesh intelligence community, the DGFI reports to the Director-General under the executive authority of the head of government, the Prime Minister, and is primarily focused on providing intelligence for the Prime Minister, the Cabinet of Bangladesh, and the Armed Forces of Bangladesh.^[3]

Formed in 1972 as Directorate of Forces Intelligence under the command and jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defense, it was organised as the principal intelligence arm of the nascent defense ministry of Bangladesh, limited to gathering critical information pertaining to the Armed Forces. The agency experienced dramatic reorganization and growth after the 1977 unrest and attempted coup, resulting from the hijacking of JAL flight 472 from Bombay, India to Dhaka International Airport, Tejgaon. In 1977, during reorganization of the DFI, it was transferred temporarily from the Minister of Defense to the Director of Martial Law Control Communication and Control Center under Wg. Cdr. M. Hamidullah Khan, TJ, SH, BP, then Provost Marshal(BAF), ZMLA, Dhaka and moved to Dhaka Cantonment. This objective was officiated under the control of the Chief Executive, the President. The directorate was elevated to Directorate General with major increase in budget and logistics, with its headquarters relocated to Dhaka Cantonment. The agency transformed into the principal intelligence arm of the defense forces specializing in gathering of foreign military intelligence.^[4] The agency officially adopted its current name in the same year. The DGFI officially consists primarily of military officers from the three service branches of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, while with an evolving role in the country's intelligence community, DGFI is also reported to have classified civilian employees. The stated priority mission of the DGFI is to provide timely, and accurate intelligence, and tactical support to Bangladesh Armed Forces commands. While the budget of DGFI is classified, it is reported to have the largest budget of the intelligence agencies.^[5]

The DGFI has increasingly expanded its role throughout the years, including foreign intelligence gathering, counter-intelligence, covert operations, counter-proliferation, signals intelligence, cyber intelligence, and anti-terrorism.^[6][7] The agency's elite counter-terrorism unit formed in 2006, CTIB, is responsible for gathering intelligence, infiltrating and neutralizing terrorist organizations that may pose a threat to national security.^[8]