The two city corporations install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras on the streets of Dhaka according to their will and plan, and various organizations or building owners install cameras on their premises to secure their buildings at their own initiative. This time, the authorities have made a plan for the installation of more cameras around important establishments across the country.
These cameras will be installed in important public and private institutions, including areas within the Dhaka metropolitan. These institutions and establishments will initiate the installation process by themselves, with an arrangement to hand over the recorded footage to the police at any time.
A request to take necessary measures in this regard was made recently to the senior secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), and the commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).
The Ministry of Home Affairs issued the letter following a meeting of the cabinet committee on law and order in October last year. The letter was signed by Mohammad Rashed Hossain Chowdhury, deputy secretary of the Public Security Division of the ministry.
A few years ago, the two city corporations of Dhaka installed at least 500 cameras at various important road junctions. There was also discussion about installing more cameras. However, most of the installed CCTV cameras are now useless due to a lack of maintenance. As a result, the police are not getting any help from them, and they are having difficulty tracking the movements of criminals.
On November 7, 2023, two former student leaders named Shouvik Karim, 42, and Ariful Islam, 40, died on the spot when they were run over by a speeding truck in the Eskaton area of the capital at around 11:45pm. But even after several months since the accident, the law enforcers still do not have a clue how it all happened or how the truck fled the scene. There is no headway into the investigation as the lone camera installed at a distance from the accident spot was out of order.
The investigating officer of the case in the case, Sajib Koch, sub-inspector at Hatirjheel police station and also the investigation officer of the case, told this correspondent that the truck was clearly seen on the CCTV camera installed at Janakantha Bhaban in the Moghbazar area. After that, the police could not follow the direction of the truck as the next CCTV camera was out of order. As CCTV footage is an important matter in investigations, the police could have made further progress in different cases if they had the footage of the incidents.
Again, due to the presence of CCTV cameras, many major crimes have been uncovered by law enforcement agencies. As a result, experts believe that CCTV cameras are playing an important role in crime prevention. They say that it is not only necessary to install CCTV cameras but also to maintain them properly. The administration should also take initiative in this regard, they opined.
Police headquarters said various crimes, including vandalism, robbery, terrorism, and theft in public and private institutions and homes, have increased. The gangs behind mobile phone hijacking have also not been brought to justice. Important files were also stolen from various offices.
The issue also came up in the police's monthly crime meeting. But most of the time, the criminals cannot be identified and arrested due to a lack of CCTV cameras in or around the crime scene or a lack of footage. CCTV camera footage is very important in this era of information technology in the fight against criminals, which helps the police prevent crimes and make arrests. But the police are not getting this help. The matter was reported to the higher authorities at the police headquarters.
The police also say that last year, 261 cases of robbery in public and private institutions and houses were registered across the country. There have also been cases of the disappearance of important documents from many government offices. But there were no CCTV cameras in or around most of these sensitive incidents. Therefore, the footage was not found, and those cases are not getting the proper treatment now.
In this context, former IGP Shahidul Haque said that people are currently installing CCTV cameras in public and private properties. However, these cameras need maintenance, and this initiative should also be taken.
“In this case, the cameras should be kept under the supervision of policemen at each police station. They should keep an eye on whether these CCTVs are operational after a few days or not. And every police station's security personnel are responsible for carrying out that work. Therefore, if CCTV footage of an incident is not available, people will be careful to keep a CCTV record of the next incident,” he added.
Anwar Hossain, deputy inspector general (operations) at the police headquarters, said that if an area is under the coverage of CCTV cameras, then crime is reduced in that area. Again, even if something happens, the culprit can be brought to light by easily uncovering the mystery and ensuring the accountability of those responsible.
In this context, Dr Touhidul Haque, associate professor at the Institute of Social Welfare and Research at Dhaka University, said that technology is helping criminals all over the world. Bangladesh is also not far behind. The police are constantly working to suppress crime by using technology. Currently, CCTV cameras are one of the mediums. However, there is a lack of CCTV camera control and monitoring in our country. They are not being used properly.
“Lately, we have been hearing that it is difficult to get CCTV footage after an incident. Later, it was found that the camera was not working there. This is destroying the trust of the litigants. Just spending money and installing CCTV cameras is not enough. It should be controlled and monitored,” this expert opined.
He also said that when the police ask for CCTV footage of someone's house or institution for the purpose of investigation, many may not agree to provide it due to various fears. Law enforcers should ensure that people can move freely without any fear. For this, Dr Touhidul Haque suggested that the police must work in coordination with the public.
