Bangladesh to buy 40,000 body cameras for February election

News18

2 days ago

Dhaka [Bangladesh], August 10 (ANI): Bangladesh's Interim Government plans to procure at least 40,000 body-worn cameras for police to enhance security at voting booths during the upcoming general election in February.The move was discussed at a high-level meeting at the State Guest House Jamuna in Dhaka on Saturday, chaired by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus.Home Adviser Lt General (Retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury and the Chief Adviser's Special Assistants Khuda Baksh Chowdhury and Faiz Tayeb Ahmed attended the meeting.Faiz Tayeb Ahmed said the procurement process for the 40,000 body cameras–commonly known as bodycams–was in its final stage. He emphasised that the devices would strengthen security in thousands of vulnerable polling centres.'We are aiming to procure the bodycams by October so police officers can receive adequate training on their key features, including AI capabilities," he said.Bangladesh authorities have approached three companies from Germany, China, and Thailand to supply the cameras. Police officers and constables will wear the devices on their chests while on election duty.Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus instructed officials to expedite the procurement and ensure proper training for thousands of police personnel.'We must guarantee complete security at all polling centers, no matter the cost. Our goal is to make the February election the most free, fair, and peaceful in the country's history," he said.During the meeting, the Chief Adviser's Special Assistant on Telecommunications and ICT Affairs also unveiled plans to launch an Election App for the upcoming vote.The app will provide comprehensive information on the February election, including candidate details, updates on voting booths, and interactive features for submitting complaints.The Chief Adviser urged officials to fast-track the app's launch and ensure it is user-friendly for the country's more than 100 million voters. In line with this, on August 6, the Office of the Chief Adviser wrote to the Election Commission, instructing it to complete all preparations to hold the National Parliament elections before the start of Ramadan in February 2026, the Chief Adviser's Press Wing said in a statement.Through this letter, the formalities of the government's request to the Election Commission to organise the elections were completed, it added.In a letter sent to the Chief Election Commissioner on Wednesday, M. Siraj Uddin Mia, Principal Secretary to the Chief Adviser, requested him to take necessary steps to organise free, fair, peaceful, and festive national elections of the expected quality at the specified time, the statement said.In his address to the nation on August 5, the July Uprising Day, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus said that he would write to the Election Commission to organise the elections before the start of Ramadan in February next year. In continuation of that, the Office of the Chief Adviser sent this letter on Wednesday.Referring to the address given to the nation, the letter says that the Chief Adviser, in his speech, called for the immediate commencement of all preparations and institutional arrangements in this regard. It is mentioned that the Chief Adviser has emphasised organising the upcoming elections in such a way that they will be remembered as a day of a great joyous voting festival, in the context of citizens not being able to vote in the past fifteen years.In his speech, the Chief Adviser mentioned his expectation that the election would be unforgettable in terms of joy and celebration, peace and order, voter turnout, and cordiality and sincerity. In addition to emphasising the importance of using appropriate technology in organising the elections, the Election Commission was also informed of the government's full cooperation in organising the expected fair, free, peaceful, and festive elections.Finally, the Principal Secretary to the Chief Adviser requested that the necessary activities be taken to organise the national elections at the specified time based on the Chief Adviser's announcement, as per the statement. (ANI)