The Ministry of Home Affairs has proposed purchasing 1,001 specialised vehicles for Bangladesh Police at an estimated cost of Tk2,281 crore to strengthen the force's operational capacity.
The proposal has already been sent to the Planning Commission's Physical Infrastructure Division for approval. A Project Evaluation Committee (PEC) meeting was held at the commission on 15 October.
Planning Commission sources said the project is proposed to be implemented between October 2026 and June 2029, with the entire cost financed by the government over three fiscal years.
Of the total expenditure, Tk447.66 crore is proposed for the 2026-27 fiscal year, Tk916.76 crore for 2027-28 and Tk916.61 crore for 2028-29.
According to Ministry of Home Affairs sources, the proposed purchases include 11 armoured personnel carriers (APCs), 20 water cannons, 20 crowd-control vehicles, 15 SWAT vans, 100 specialised patrol cars, 13 specialised vans, 55 prison vans and 200 motorcycles.
The proposal also includes 50 utility terrain vehicles for transporting trained police dogs, 50 all-terrain vehicles for operations and patrols in remote and difficult-to-access areas, and 100 motorcycles designed for use in hilly areas.
In addition, six mobile surveillance vehicles are proposed for police intelligence operations and field-level information gathering.
The project also proposes purchasing 15 quick-response boats or speedboats for rapid movement in coastal, riverine and hilly areas, along with 15 rescue boats for rescuing people stranded in water or involved in accidents.
Other proposed purchases include 105 suburban vehicles for commanders of different police units to travel in the field, 80 freezer vans for transporting bodies at a cost of Tk96 crore, and 80 small deployment utility vehicles.
The proposal also includes 10 specialised vehicles for transporting horses used in ceremonial activities and training, along with 56 other vehicles.
Police Headquarters said implementing the project would improve the force's efficiency and capacity, enable faster responses to public needs and help improve the country's law and order situation.
Senior police officials said specialised vehicles were essential to building a modern and efficient police force. They described the proposed procurement as a strategic step towards maintaining law and order, ensuring public safety and making police operations more effective.
The officials said specialised vehicles could respond more quickly and effectively than regular patrol cars during public disorder, crime prevention operations and emergencies.
They would also allow police to reach remote and difficult-to-access areas more easily, enabling personnel to arrive at incident scenes quickly and bring situations under control.
Some of these vehicles could also serve as mobile control rooms during operations, allowing police to monitor and manage situations using advanced communication systems and technology.
The officials said the vehicles would also facilitate the immediate collection of evidence from crime scenes, making investigations easier and helping identify suspects.
Asked about the proposal, Additional Inspector General of Police (Development) Sarder Nurul Amin told The Business Standard that no specialised vehicles had been purchased for the police since 2020, although they were needed for UN peacekeeping missions, riot control and regular operations.
"The vehicles purchased earlier are all more than 10-15 years old. Normally, a vehicle has a lifespan of eight to 10 years. All our vehicles have become old," he said.
"Besides, many of our vehicles were damaged during the 2024 mass uprising. That is why the government has taken this initiative to strengthen police capacity. If the project is approved and implemented, the capacity of the police will increase significantly," he added.