Govt to decide on body camera purchase for police within days: Finance Adviser

The government is set to make a decision on purchasing body cameras for law enforcement agencies within the next few days, Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed said on Wednesday (12 November)

"We will take a decision on the purchase of body cameras after completing a few pending tasks. Hopefully, the matter will be finalised within the next couple of days — maybe tomorrow or the day after," he said.

He made the remarks while speaking to reporters after attending meetings of the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase and the Advisers Council Committee on Economic Affairs at the Bangladesh Secretariat.

Dr Salehuddin said some preparatory work regarding the procurement process is still under way.

Responding to a question about possible delays, he noted that the government aims to expedite the process by shortening procedural timelines within the Public Procurement Rules (PPR).

"Normally, tender procedures take some time, but we are trying to fast-track the process under the provisions of the PPR. Once the proposal is ready, we'll move forward quickly," he added.

The adviser did not disclose details about the number of body cameras to be purchased or the specific agencies that would receive them, but hinted that the procurement would be prioritised based on operational needs and accountability requirements.

On 23 September, the government approved the procurement of around 40,000 body cameras for police personnel to use during the upcoming national election, scheduled for February.

The procurement will be carried out through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to ensure quality, transparency, and neutrality in the process.

Dr Salehuddin said that buying through the UNDP would help avoid controversies over quality and pricing, as international tenders would be floated and responsibility would lie with the agency.