Govt plans local security committees in 70 neighbourhoods of Dhaka-13.
AI-powered surveillance cameras have been installed at the Bijoy Sarani intersection in Dhaka. The camaras will monitor traffic violations under a new e-prosecution system, detect offences including signal violations, wrong-way driving, riding without helmets and mobile phone use while driving. The photo was taken on 7 May 2026. FILE PHOTO: SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN/TBS
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AI-powered surveillance cameras have been installed at the Bijoy Sarani intersection in Dhaka. The camaras will monitor traffic violations under a new e-prosecution system, detect offences including signal violations, wrong-way driving, riding without helmets and mobile phone use while driving. The photo was taken on 7 May 2026. FILE PHOTO: SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN/TBS
The government has installed 80 CCTV cameras at 15 locations in Mohammadpur-Adabor to curb crime, with plans to expand the network to several hundred cameras within a year and introduce AI-powered monitoring, State Minister for Primary and Mass Education and Dhaka-13 MP Bobby Hajjaj said yesterday (13 November).
The initiative is part of a broader plan to strengthen neighbourhood security through technology, police coordination and community participation, rather than relying solely on action after crimes occur.
The high-resolution cameras, equipped with zoom facilities, have been installed along key roads, at intersections and in public places, including Bosila intersection, Mohammadpur bus stand and Asad Gate. Police stations in Mohammadpur, Adabor and neighbouring areas helped identify crime-prone locations for installation. Specialised covert cameras have also been placed at the entrances to Geneva Camp.
The government plans to divide Dhaka-13 into 70 neighbourhoods and form local security committees comprising representatives of mosque and temple committees, market associations, educational institutions and prominent residents.
Footage will not be available to the public. Police stations, the DMP traffic division and designated representatives of the neighbourhood committees will be able to access it when necessary, Hajjaj said.
Residents, businesses, offices and educational institutions are also being encouraged to install cameras outside their premises and improve lighting. The government plans to integrate these cameras into the wider surveillance network.
Police patrols and traffic management
Alongside surveillance, the government plans to improve traffic management across Dhaka-13. Modern traffic signals are already operational at Shia Mosque, Asad Gate and near the Eye Hospital at Dhanmondi 27.
Three more systems are planned within two months at the western gate of DRMC School, Noorjahan Road and the entrance to Shampa Market.
The DMP traffic division also uses the CCTV network to monitor congestion and identify traffic violations at key points, including Salimullah Road-Shia Mosque, Shampa Market-Square Hospital, Mohammadpur bus stand and Bosila intersection.
Addressing youth gangs and drug-related crime
The state minister said tackling juvenile gangs and drug-related crime requires skills training, jobs and business opportunities for young people, alongside law enforcement.
Discussions are under way with the World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) on employment, development and rehabilitation initiatives in Bosila and Bihari Camp.
Education and skills development initiatives involving Bosila Polytechnic and the National University are also planned.
Hajjaj said Bihari Camp’s entry and exit points are under CCTV surveillance, with the local police station given special responsibility for security.
The longer-term rehabilitation plans aim to address the social and economic problems underlying crime in the area.
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