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A move has been made to bring the Dhaka-Chattogram highway under surveillance cameras for checking accidents and criminal activities along the corridor.
The Highway Police have initiated to establish closed-circuit television (CCTV) monitoring from Kanchpur to Chattogram gate under a capacity-building project.
Under the system, sources said, CCTV cameras will be installed along the 250-kilometre road alongside video site poles, computer software and monitoring centre.
As the Highway Police need support from the authorities concerned like Roads and Highways Department (RHD), they added, a meeting to this end was held last month.
The RHD also made a primary commitment to providing necessary support in this connection.
But the agency said the Highway Police have to submit a specific plan for setting up cameras as the need clearance to use RHD land and poles.
In case of any damage to roads or shoulders while planting cameras, the implementing agency will also bear the full repairing costs. According to the project approved on November 04, 2018, a total of 1,427 CCTV cameras will be installed on the major national highway.
Officials concerned said clearance from RHD and Power Division is needed to set up more than 200 cameras on their land and poles as per the RHD land use policy.
Dhaka-Chattogram highway is an economic lifeline as it has established a link between the country's prime port and the capital with the maximum traffic volume.
Due to heavy traffic, the key artery often remains in gridlock for several kilometres.
Besides, the highway faces overloading problems routinely as the axle-load control guideline is hardly followed on the passage.
Although the street has experienced less accidents and traffic congestion in recent years, sources said, a monitoring system can play a role in improving traffic management and checking criminal activities.
According to the officials, the surveillance equipment will help read vehicle number plates, illegal goods and check high speed. This will also help detect unfit vehicles and remove them from the busiest highway.