Construction of first-ever DNA lab to start in Jan

Bangladesh police is set to start construction of the first ever DNA lab next month to expedite investigations of crimes ensuring scientific and authentic tests, officials said here today, reports BSS. "Construction work on the Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) laboratory for the police with state of the art technology will start in January next and is targeted to be complete by June 2014," Mohammad Sarwar, project director of the lab, told the news agency Friday. "The lab will help us to correctly identify the real perpetrators of crimes through DNA examinations of the physical evidences like saliva, blood, hair and sperm of the culprits, expedite investigation process as well as make investigations scientific and authentic," said Sarwar, also Special Superintendent of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Sarwar said the lab would be of crucial help particularly to routinely identifying bodies without identity. The government in June last year approved the Development Project Proforma (DPP) for setting up the DNA lab at a cost of Tk 210 million, of which Japanese Debt Cancellation Fund (JDCF) is to provide 80 per cent of the total amount.