Body-Worn Boost: Bangladesh to Equip Police with AI Cameras for Upcoming Election
Preparations are underway to hold the national election in the first half of February next year. The election schedule is expected to be announced in the first half of December, Election Commissioner Abul Fazl Mohammad Sanaullah has said.
In the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election, 50,000 police personnel assigned for duty will be equipped with wearable technology.
To this end, a decision has been made to procure 40,000 new body-worn cameras for polling stations. Under this plan, each polling station will have one body-worn camera.
Shafiqul Alam, Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser, illustrated how the cameras will be used. He said that with these AI-enabled devices, district commissioners and superintendents of police will be able to remotely monitor real-time situations at polling centres.
“These devices will make it possible to ensure security more effectively. The SPs and DCs will be able to understand what is happening at a distance. If the law-and-order situation deteriorates at any centre, they can take immediate action,” Shafiqul Alam explained.
The press secretary further stated that the police currently possess around 10,000 body cameras. The government has taken steps to procure an additional 40,000 cameras, which will be acquired promptly. A short-term training programme for police personnel is also planned after the purchase. Experiences from other countries using similar devices are being taken into consideration.
