96 police stations come under remote monitoring

Bangladesh Police has recently introduced a remote monitoring management system at 96 police stations in 13 districts of Dhaka Range to monitor the activities of the police stations.

Night vision colour IP cameras have been installed in the duty officers’ rooms, sentry duty-posts and custody to bring the police stations under a 24-hour monitoring system.

The main activities of the police stations revolve around these three places.

Allegations of irregularities, corruption, mismanagement and negligence of duty have been centered on these places for a long time. But now there is no such opportunity.

The Operations Control and Monitoring Centre have been set up at the Dhaka Range DIG’s office in the capital to bring the police stations under the monitoring system.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Benazir Ahmed inaugurated this control centre on December 2.

The districts having 96 police stations are Narayanganj, Gazipur, Manikganj, Munshiganj, Narsingdi, Tangail, Kishoreganj, Netrakona, Faridpur, Gopalganj, Madaripur, Rajbari and Shariatpur.

Jehadul Kabir, additional DIG (crime) of Dhaka Range, said, “The cameras have a zoom capacity. This allows the image or video to be enlarged. We can see the surroundings by turning the camera 180 degrees.”

“The 30-day video record of each police station will be kept in the Operations Control and Monitoring Centre,” he added.

Three cameras have been installed in each police station of Dhaka Range to monitor the activities of the police stations. Now they can monitor the activities round the clock from the control room in capital Dhaka.

Officials said the police personnel on duty at the gate of the police stations were accused of neglecting their duties and giving special benefits to the accused or their relatives.

In addition, whether women and children are being given priority, whether the same person is repeatedly coming to the duty officer’s room, how the sentry is treating the service seekers, whether the sentry is sitting inside at night with the lock on the collapsible gate etc. are being monitored.

As per the rules, information about detainees is taken at every police station every morning and after 10:00 pm, whether there are any abnormalities in custody, if there are female detainees, whether there are female sentries, whether the jail is clean and tidy and whether there are winter blankets, whether the relatives of the accused are giving food in the jail, whether there are any unusual materials with the detainees are monitored from the monitoring centre.

Footage from these cameras can be seen directly from the Operations Control and Monitoring Centre. From there, the Range DIG’s office can see the surroundings by turning the camera 180 degrees.

Whenever there is any inconsistency in the activities of any police station, screenshots will be taken. Centre officials are talking live with policemen and service seekers concerned through cameras.

While the officers working at the centre were talking and watching live video, police members of the police stations could not see any video footage.

So, in many cases the policemen concerned are surprised when they are talking from the range office seeing any inconsistency.

According to the Dhaka Range organogram, there will be one inspector, one SI and two constables in the control room. Additional DIG (Ops and Intelligence) and additional SP (Ops and Intelligence) will supervise the activities.

During the office hours, the inspector (Operations and Control) will be in charge of the control room. Officers above the rank of inspector of Police of the Range Office will supervise the activities on the instructions. Urgent information must be communicated directly with the Range DIG.

Since September 2019, the police stations under Dhaka Range have been brought under strict monitoring.

Plaintiffs are called by high-ranking police officers after general diaries are filed. They are asked about bribery and harassment.

At the beginning of the monitoring, various allegations were found to be true.

But, now they are coming down. There are no allegations of taking money or harassment in filing cases and GDs.