When the high-tech CCTV cameras were installed across Cumilla city in late 2021, they arrived with a promise of safety, security and smarter streets.
Mounted at bustling intersections and shadowy corners, the cameras were the city’s new digital guardians, boasting artificial intelligence, facial recognition and round-the-clock vigilance. Now, nearly three years later, those mechanical eyes have all but gone dark.
Today, many of Cumilla’s 90 surveillance cameras sit idle -- some cloaked in layers of dust, others with drooping wires or skewed angles, silently recording nothing of use.
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For a project that cost taxpayers over Tk 2 crore, it is a disheartening sight.
They were supposed to change the way Cumilla fought crime and managed traffic. Instead, they have become yet another symbol of good intentions gone unattended.
A City Watched, But Briefly
The Cumilla City Corporation (CuCC) had envisioned a smart surveillance system capable of not just recording footage, but recognising faces, scanning number plates and helping police respond swiftly to crimes.
Locations like Fouzderhat Mor, Eidgah Char Rasta, Chawkbazar, Madina Bus Stand, Moynamoti Medical College Road and Kandirpar were handpicked for their strategic importance.
The system initially showed promise, but signs of neglect soon became evident. Within months, cameras stopped rotating, night vision failed and most units remained non-functional for over a year.
Dysfunctional Cameras
Residents speak with a mixture of resignation and frustration. “Most cameras are out of order, and no one is maintaining them. Still, the contractor continues to draw bills regularly. It’s become a joke,” said one local man, gesturing toward a camera pole near Tomchom Bridge.
The project was implemented by Nice Power IT Solution Ltd, a firm owned by former Cumilla-6 MP AKM Bahauddin Bahar.
The company reportedly began work in 2018 through a quotation-based process, a method that insiders allege violated public procurement norms. While installation wrapped up in 2020, cracks in maintenance appeared almost immediately.
Even the camera at the main gate of CuCC’s own building has gone dark.
Tanvir Alam Abhi, who works at a private bank, shared his concern, “Mugging and eve-teasing have increased in the city. If these cameras had been functional, at least some incidents could have been prevented.”
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When Surveillance Fails
The failure of Cumilla’s camera network is not just a technical issue--it’s a breakdown in public trust. “The city has seen a rise in theft and mugging. CCTV is the only way to identify criminals,” said Kazi Enamul Haque Faruk, President of the Cumilla Press Club, adding, “The 90 cameras are now virtually useless. I hope the city corporation will act swiftly.”
