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Published : 14 Aug 2025, 07:18 PM
The interim government has launched an investigation into the purchase and use of surveillance equipment during the tenure of the former Awami League administration, amid allegations of mass monitoring of citizens.
The Advisory Council, chaired by Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, decided at its Thursday meeting in Tejgaon to form an inquiry committee, Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam told reporters later at the Foreign Service Academy.
“The Advisory Council has decided to investigate how much money was spent on buying surveillance equipment, and from where it was purchased,” Shafiqul said.
“The Chief Advisor’s Special Assistant on Posts and Telecommunications Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb will head the committee. The inquiry will also examine how these devices were used.”
Citing reports from the Tech Global Institute and an English-language daily, Shafiqul noted discrepancies in the estimated cost of the equipment, with some sources putting the figure at $300 million and others at $200 million.
“The last authoritarian government used these illegal surveillance tools to violate the rights of Bangladeshi citizens. According to reports, much of this equipment was purchased from Israel. The committee will investigate these issues thoroughly,” he said.
A separate report by a local media outlet, based on National Board of Revenue data, claimed that between 2016 and 2024 police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC) jointly procured surveillance tools worth over Tk 11.35 billion.
The NTMC also developed a nationwide infrastructure known as the Integrated Lawful Interception System (ILIS), capable of effortlessly monitoring, analysing and storing massive volumes of internet and telecommunications traffic from all citizens. This created a real-time, centralised surveillance system linking multiple agencies.
The press secretary added that the government is also looking into the procurement and use of “deadly weapons” purchased for police during the same period.
He did not disclose further details about the investigation.
The meeting also discussed proposed amendments to the Public Procurement Act.
“The draft has been prepared and will be circulated to all ministries. A decision will be placed before the cabinet soon,” Shafiqul said.
