Authorities have arrested a 40-year-old man and sent him to prison following an attempted theft of a newly installed artificial intelligence (AI) surveillance camera along the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway.
The incident took place late on Tuesday night in the Raypur area of Daudkandi upazila within Comilla district. Mohammad Shahinur Alam Khan, Superintendent of Police for the Comilla region Highway Police, confirmed that the suspect was caught in the act of trying to dismantle the sensitive monitoring equipment. Law enforcement identified the arrested individual as Farooq, son of Dhanu Miah, residing in the Malikhil area of Daudkandi. Following his detention, police registered a formal criminal case against him, leading a magistrate to order his remand in judicial custody.
Civic Action Alerts Law Enforcement
Providing further details regarding the night’s events, Premdas Roy, Officer-in-Charge of the Daudkandi Highway Crossing Police Station, stated that the suspect attempted to climb the mounting structure supporting the AI camera at approximately 1:30 AM on Tuesday. Spotting unusual movements near the highway structure, local residents moved quickly to apprehend Farooq at the scene and immediately dialed the national emergency hotline 999.
Responding to the dispatch from the emergency operator, a Highway Police patrol team arrived promptly, took the suspect into custody, and transferred him to Daudkandi Model Police Station for processing. Charges alleging the attempted theft of state infrastructure were formally recorded before the suspect was brought to court, where bail was denied.
Protection of Vital Public Assets
The deployment of advanced AI cameras represents a major public sector initiative aimed at modernising highway management, controlling vehicle speeds, and deterring criminal activities along key arterial routes. As the primary transport corridor linking the capital with the country’s main maritime port in Chittagong, the highway carries an immense volume of daily commercial freight and passenger traffic.
Highlighting the importance of these systems, Superintendent Mohammad Shahinur Alam Khan noted that law enforcement remains fully committed to securing high-tech highway installations. Stressing that these cameras represent valuable public property designed to protect commuters, he urged communities residing near major roads to assist police in safeguarding national infrastructure against vandalism and theft.
