The government has decided to purchase 40,000 body cameras for police to facilitate their duties during the upcoming elections. The cameras will be procured through United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with government funds, Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed said on Tuesday.
He disclosed the information to journalists after a meeting of the advisory council committee on government purchases at the Secretariat.
“At today’s meeting, a very important matter came up. Police will be provided with 40,000 body cameras during the elections. They will need these. We have approved the proposal. It must be brought in quickly,” he said.
When asked about the cost, the adviser replied, “The issue is not finalised yet, so I cannot give a specific figure now. The procurement will be done through UNDP.”
Explaining why UNDP would oversee the purchase, he said, “We bring vaccines through UNICEF. If we go for open tenders, issues arise regarding quality and pricing. UNDP will ensure both quality and fair price. That way, we won’t need to negotiate with anyone.”
On funding, Salehuddin said, “These 40,000 body cameras will be purchased with Bangladesh government funds. The Ministry of Finance will arrange the expenses, which will come from the election budget. We are giving these to the police, not the Election Commission. There will be no shortage of whatever is needed for the elections.”
In response to another query about why UNDP would handle the purchase if the government is funding it, the adviser clarified, “The money will come from the government, but the procurement has to be done from the private sector. To ensure transparency, the purchase will be made through UNDP.”