Authorities are planning to bring the Dhaka-Mawa Expressway under AI-powered camera surveillance to curb road accidents, detect traffic violations and improve discipline on the highway.
The system is expected to detect offences such as speeding and dangerous overtaking and facilitate the automatic filing of cases against violators.
Road Transport and Bridges, Railways, and Shipping Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam recently announced the initiative during a visit to Munshiganj to inspect development projects.
He said national highways were being brought under AI-powered camera monitoring, with plans to gradually extend the technology to district and regional highways to ensure continuous surveillance. Legal action would be taken against those violating traffic laws, he added.
The 55-kilometre Dhaka-Mawa Expressway, including approximately 35 kilometres through Munshiganj district, is a major transport link connecting Dhaka with 21 districts in the southern region. Despite its importance, the highway has witnessed numerous road accidents.
According to the Munshiganj Fire Service and Civil Defence, around 589 accidents occurred on the expressway between June 25, 2022, and October 25, 2026, leaving 152 people dead and 950 injured.
Mohammad Safiqul Islam, deputy assistant director of Munshiganj Fire Service and Civil Defence, told BSS that reckless driving, dangerous overtaking and violations of traffic laws were among the main causes of accidents on the highway.
Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman, superintendent of police of the Highway Police's Gazipur region, also identified reckless speeding as a leading cause of accidents on the expressway.
He said authorities planned to bring the entire highway under AI camera surveillance to monitor speeding, dangerous overtaking and other traffic violations, enabling legal proceedings to be initiated automatically against offenders.
The system is expected to discourage motorists from exceeding speed limits and making dangerous overtaking manoeuvres. Continuous monitoring could also raise drivers' awareness and help restore discipline on the highway, he added.
Md Mominul Islam, sub-divisional engineer of the Roads and Highways Department, said speed-limit signs and CCTV cameras had already been installed at various points along the expressway to help prevent accidents.
However, he identified reckless speeding, dangerous overtaking, sudden U-turns, driver negligence, traffic law violations and dense fog as recurring causes of accidents.
Officials hope that AI-powered surveillance, coupled with stronger enforcement of traffic laws, will help reduce accidents and make travel along the Dhaka-Mawa Expressway safer.