The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) urged public to comply with traffic laws rather than resorting to deceptive means to evade Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based monitoring system.
Speaking at a press briefing held at DMP Media Centre at 11:30am on Tuesday, Md Anisur Rahman, additional police commissioner (Traffic), announced that a special operation will soon be launched against vehicles with obscured, broken, distorted, or intentionally partially covered number plates.
He explained that while AI technology assists in law enforcement by identifying plates, it becomes difficult to function when plates are tampered with.
In a shift in enforcement strategy, legal action will now be taken against both the driver and the owner of vehicles for number plate-related offences.
A demerit point system will be implemented, where points will be deducted from the driver’s driving licence alongside the imposition of fines as per the law.
The additional commissioner highlighted a recent case involving a motorcycle rider, Md Lablu Haque, 38, who was spotted in a social media video intentionally covering the last three digits of his number plate while travelling.
Following an investigation, a team from the City Intelligence Analysis Division arrested him on Tuesday.
The incident occurred around 2:30pm on Tuesday at the Karwan Bazar crossing under Tejgaon Police Station, where Lablu was found using white scotch tape to hide the digits ‘659’ on his private motorcycle, registration number Dhaka Metro-L-16-3659.
Upon being produced before the court, he was sentenced to 30 days of simple imprisonment and fined Tk2,000 under Section 72 of Road Transport Act 2018.
“This innovative strategy to deceive AI is completely unacceptable,” DMP additional commissioner said.
He emphasised that the primary goal of DMP is not merely to file cases, issue fines, or punish individuals, but to raise public awareness so that citizens spontaneously follow the law.
However, he warned that strict legal measures would be taken against those who intentionally violate the rules.
The briefing was attended by various high-ranking DMP officials and journalists from across the electronic and print media.
