Sources said the project aims to strengthen e-governance and maintain prompt communication between the prime minister (PM) and key public officials.

"The government has initiated the project to establish a dedicated network for audio-visual communication connecting the prime minister with top functionaries of the civil administration," a senior government official told The Daily Star.

He said the project will be implemented by Support to ICT task force programme under the planning ministry.

This will be a highly secure and reliable network for simultaneous audio and multimedia communication with network security proposed to be maintained by Special Security Force (SSF).

The system will provide fully secure audio and video communication, email facility, data sharing and data transfer, and fax communication.

The network can be used for one-to-one or multi-party multimedia communications.

Describing the benefits, the sources said enhanced speed, efficiency in making decisions and follow-up compliance status will improve the law and order and reduce bureaucratic tangles.

Designated officials will be able to use common information database to get updated on key decisions.

"The network will be useful in cases of eventualities like disasters and political stand-offs such as hartal," another official said.

The prime minister and other key decision-makers will be able to virtually visit important development projects. Describing the proposed system, one official said when a multimedia communication is intended, the person authorised by the PM's Office will convey the date, time and subject of the conference to selected parties.

All parties will take their seats in videoconference booths at their respective locations at the scheduled time. Each booth will have as many display panels as the number of participants, displaying the image of the participants.

When ready for the meeting, the prime minister will press a display panel to decide who she will talk to.

At anytime during the conference, she can call in additional participants or block off an existing participant temporarily or for the entire session. Blank screens will mean participants are absent.

The video-conferencing system will be installed by third-party vendors on a turn-key basis.