Dhaka: Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Thursday informed Parliament that the government is redesigning the Development Project Proposal (DPP) for a project aimed at bringing the entire Dhaka city under a CCTV monitoring system. 'Following the decisions of the scrutiny committee meeting, the DPP of the project is currently being restructured. If the project is approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), necessary initiatives can be taken to bring the entire Dhaka Metropolitan area under a CCTV monitoring system,' he said.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the minister made the remarks in reply to a tabled question from opposition Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Mohammed Kamal Hossain (Dhaka-5). Earlier, Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal initiated the question-and-answer session at the outset of Thursday's sitting, which began at 3:00 pm.
The Home Minister mentioned that the project, titled 'Development of Smart Policing in DMP', is part of the unapproved new projects under the Annual Development Programme (ADP). The aim is to bring the entire Dhaka city under CCTV monitoring. A scrutiny committee meeting on the preliminary DPP of the project was held on May 24, 2026, chaired by the Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
In response to another question from independent lawmaker Sk. Mozibur Rahman Iqbal (Kishoreganj-5), Salahuddin Ahmed revealed plans to build five new Inshore Patrol Vessel (IPV) ships at local dockyards using advanced technology. This is aimed at modernising the Bangladesh Coast Guard and enhancing its operational capabilities. Additionally, activities are underway to establish the Coast Guard Research and Development Centre (CRDC) to boost research and innovation capabilities.
Salahuddin also noted that efforts are being made to establish a Coastal Surveillance System (CSS) to develop new technologies, address operational problems, and enhance technological capabilities.
In response to a scripted question from independent lawmaker Sultana Jesmin (Women's Seat-49), the Home Minister reported that the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has seized 1.55 crore yaba pills, 29 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine (ice), 9.5 kilogrammes of heroin, one kilogramme of opium, 14 bottles of LSD, 26,474 bottles of Phensedyl, 11,707 kilogrammes of cannabis, and 57,469 bottles of foreign liquor and beer across the country during 2026. He mentioned that 1,219 accused persons were arrested during the drives in the current year. Activities are underway to seal the routes through which drugs enter the country along the India-Myanmar borders using modern surveillance methods such as thermal cameras and drones.