Cox’s Bazar Cops Equipped with Body-Worn Cameras for Enhanced Transparency
In an effort to strengthen public safety and ensure accountability in law enforcement, police personnel in Cox’s Bazar have been equipped with modern “body-worn cameras.” These cameras, attached to the uniforms of officers, will enable real-time recording of audio and video during duty.
On Wednesday, July 30, 35 police officers from various police stations and units officially received the body-worn cameras at the district police superintendent’s office. The devices were handed over by Cox’s Bazar Superintendent of Police Md. Saifuddin Shaheen.
“We want to be the people’s police,” said Superintendent Shaheen. “By using body-worn cameras, we aim to ensure transparency, accountability, and public trust, while also making it easier to monitor police conduct. With this tech-driven security initiative, law and order in the tourism-centric city of Cox’s Bazar will improve.”
According to the district police, the initial distribution of cameras has targeted patrol teams from police stations and outposts, the traffic unit, the Detective Branch (DB), and members engaged in special operations. Plans are underway to gradually expand the use of this technology to other units.
Md. Jasim Uddin Chowdhury, Additional Superintendent of Police (Traffic) and spokesperson for the district police, stated that necessary servers and software systems are being installed to store and analyze the recorded footage. Training is also being arranged to ensure proper usage of the equipment by police officers.
Officials believe that the initiative will not only reinforce professionalism within the police force but also protect officers from false accusations, enhance investigative transparency, and foster improved public relations.
The adoption of body-worn cameras aligns with recommendations from the Police Reform Commission, which advocates for transparency and accountability in law enforcement procedures. A recent meeting at the residence of the Chief Adviser concluded with a decision mandating the use of vests equipped with GPS tracking and video recording devices during all operations conducted by law enforcement personnel.
The implementation of this system began as a pilot project within the Gazipur Metropolitan Police and is now being gradually rolled out across the country.
