DHAKA, Sept 12, 2019 (BSS) – Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal today
said the government would transform Dhaka and Chattogram into crime-
free cities.
“The government has under taken a project to transform Dhaka and
Chattogram into safe cities in phases aimed at detecting all sorts of crimes
and making them crime free,” he told reporters after emerging from a meeting
at the ministry’s conference room.
The home ministry organized the meeting to provide digital services among
the people of the country, which State Minister for ICT Division Zunaid Ahmed
Palak, Secretary of Security Division Mostafa Kamal Uddin and Inspector
General of Police (IGP) Dr Mohammad Javed Patwari joined and spoke at the
meeting.
The minister said the government would install around 14,000-16,000
cameras having high resolution in Dhaka city, which would also bring traffic
system under control by giving smooth traffic to city dwellers.
“Initially, we will begin work in Dhaka North and South City Corporations
and Chattogram City Corporation will come later under the safe city project.
Once the project is implemented the city’s crime would be reduced,” he said.
Kamal said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina promised to make “Digital
Bangladesh” in 2008. With this end the government has been working to make
the country digital following Prime Minister’s ICT Advisor Sajeeb Wazed Joy’s
experience because Joy has vast knowledge about the ICT sector. He said the
government has also been working to make ‘999’ service more popular as some
1.42 crore people so far dialed it seeking assistance.”
To make this service more effective and popular, a six-member committee
has been constituted headed by Additional Secretary of Home Ministry Nurul
Islam, the minister said.
He said the government has also a plan to increase manpower to 500 for
providing ‘999’ service smoothly. Currently it has 142 people, adding, “Till
now all assistance seekers got service by dialing ‘999’.” Besides, the home
ministry has also formed a one member committee to introduce digital general
diary (GD) system in Dhaka Metropolitan Police and Mymensingh Metropolitan
Police areas, Kamal said adding that the digital GD will work for lost and
found sector initially.
Apart from this, the ministry is considering expanding ‘Swajan’ programme
for inmates and relatives of prisoners, which was already introduced in
Tangail jail and prisoners’ relatives are getting good results from it.
Access to Information (a2i) Programme of Prime Minister’s Office provided
technical assistance to run the project and from then, prisoners can talk to
their relatives using phones from jail.
The Swajan programme improved communication between prisoners and their
family members and reduces hassle.
The minister said that the home ministry will be fully digitalized within
2021 when the country will celebrate ‘Mujib Year’, the birth centenary of
Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.