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.

“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 said this while speaking to reporters after attending the meetings of the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase and the Advisers Council Committee on Economic Affairs at the Bangladesh Secretariat.

Govt okays procurement of 40,000 body cameras for police use during polls

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

Responding to a question about possible delays, Dr Salehuddin noted that the government is aiming 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 considering operational needs and accountability requirements.

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

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

He said buying through UNDP will help avoid controversies over quality and pricing, as international tenders will be floated and responsibility will lie with the agency.