We appreciate the interim government’s decision to allocate Tk72 crore for the installation of CCTV cameras at nearly 22,000 polling centres - a move that, on the face of it, looks promising. 

We are unfortunately a nation where electoral credibility has often been questioned. As such, visible surveillance becomes a necessity to serve as both a deterrent and reassurance. Cameras therefore could strengthen transparency, discourage irregularities, and restore public confidence in the ballot.

However, while the idea deserves merit, technology alone cannot guarantee fairness. 

Unless this initiative is executed with accountability, rigour, and proper oversight, this could become yet another expensive exercise that fails to deliver - a pattern we have become all-too-familiar with over the years.

Too many projects, year after year, have seen the same fate - large allocations squandered through poor procurement, rushed implementation, or a lack of transparency.

Thus, we must ensure that installation is thorough while having real-time monitoring. Also important is the need for proper procurement and implementation to prevent corruption and inflated costs. 

Most importantly, these cameras, being installed with public money, must not be treated as decoration but rather actively used to protect voters and ensure that irregularities are deterred and documented.

The upcoming elections could be the most consequential in our country's history, and voters deserve to go to the polls with the knowledge that every ballot is safeguarded, every irregularity deterred, and every taka respected. 

The CCTV initiative can play a significant part in ensuring that, but only if it is done right.