The Ministry of Home Affairs has proposed two mega projects to enhance the capabilities of the Bangladesh Police. The ministry has presented these two projects for consideration by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC).
It is expected that a final decision on these two proposals will be made at the ECNEC meeting to be held at the Secretariat on October 25. The meeting will be chaired by ECNEC President and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
One of the proposed projects relates to the procurement of operational vehicles for the police, and the other is for specialized vehicles. Under these two projects, the Ministry of Home Affairs has proposed an allocation of BDT 6,608.14 crore for the purchase of a total of 5,830 vehicles.
Of this proposed investment, BDT 4,328 crore will be spent on procuring 4,829 operational vehicles, and BDT 2,280.14 crore will be allocated for 1,001 specialized vehicles. Both projects are slated for implementation between October of the current year and June 2029, with the government bearing the entire cost.
This proposed procurement initiative comes against the backdrop of a significant gap between the Bangladesh Police Force’s existing vehicle fleet and their operational requirements.
Currently, the country’s 639 administrative police stations have 1,237 vehicles. With fewer than two vehicles per station on average, and approximately 64% of the existing fleet being over a decade old, the police face challenges in maintaining regular patrols, responding to emergencies, and deploying personnel to critical locations.
The proposed investment is expected to enhance the police force’s mobility and operational readiness. This will enable the police to respond more effectively to crime, public order disturbances, and security threats.
The specialized vehicles project plans to acquire riot control vehicles, off-road vehicles for inaccessible areas, mobile command centers, and specialized vans for crime scene inspections, to meet specific law enforcement needs.
These vehicles will assist in crowd control, conducting operations in remote areas, coordinating between various field units, and collecting evidence during criminal investigations.
The modernization plan also identifies the need to procure speedboats and local boats to strengthen police operations across the country’s extensive waterways. These vessels will aid in riverine patrols, protecting critical infrastructure, anti-terrorism operations, and emergency rescue missions. In addition to vehicle procurement, both projects include provisions for training to acquire the necessary skills for their operation and maintenance.
Under the operational vehicles project, 650 personnel will receive light vehicle driving and mechanics training, 300 will receive heavy vehicle driving and mechanics training, and an additional 50 will be trained in vehicle repair. The specialized vehicles project includes driving and mechanics training for 910 personnel, and mechanics training for another 50. The operational project also allocates BDT 1.5 crore for vehicle maintenance and repair equipment and tools.
The revised development project proposal for the operational vehicles project was reviewed at a Project Evaluation Committee meeting on October 15. Following the committee’s recommendations, foreign training was excluded, and the proposal was amended to align with the regulations of the Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre and the Finance Division.
Concurrently, after review by the Physical Infrastructure Division of the Planning Commission, the specialized vehicles project has been separately recommended for ECNEC’s consideration. Neither project has received final approval, and their implementation is entirely dependent on ECNEC’s decision.
It is hoped that if these two mega projects are approved, the capabilities of the police across the country will significantly increase.
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