In an effort to overhaul the highway police department and its services, the government has taken an initiative to bring all the highways across the country under CCTV (Closed-Circuit Television) surveillance.
The plan includes purchasing wrecker trucks, ambulances and other equipment for highway police so they can ensure better order on the highways.
The initiative will start with covering the Dhaka-Chattogram highways under closed circuit video surveillance, said people familiar with the matter, adding that it will take some more time before it kicks off.
The plan to bring the Dhaka-Chattogram highways under 24/7 video surveillance has been undertaken as it is used as the main trade route across the country.
Once implemented, authorities will be able to control vehicle movement, traffic congestion and it will even help lower the number of road accidents.
It will also help law enforcers ensure security for people’s lives and properties, police sources said.
According to home ministry sources, it’s not possible for the highway police department to deal with the challenges on the highways, including traffic jams, accidents unless their capacity is strengthened.
Recently, executive committee of The National Economic Council (ECNEC), signed a Tk. 2.44 billion project titled ‘Strengthening Capacity of Highway Police’ which aims to bring the entire Dhaka-Chattogram highways by 2021 under the revamping project.
Once implemented, highway police personnel will be able to control the speed of vehicles and use state of the art technology to prevent drug trafficking plus movement of suspicious people on the main highway.
Highway Police deputy inspector general, Md Atiquk Islam, told Bangla Tribune: “we are always working to enhance the police’s capacity.”
He also said that it will take some more time to start the project to bring the Dhaka-Chattogram highways under CCTV video surveillance.
“A number of stages must be completed before we start implementing the project,” he said before adding: “whenever that may be, it will reinforce the highway police’s ability in containing crime.
