The committee at its 33rd meeting yesterday directed the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to arrange installation of such machine, costing $25 to 30 million each.

"We will install at least one machine this year," said Ali Ahmad, a member of the NBR.

The decision came as a follow-up of the recently signed memorandum of intent (MoI) in which Bangladesh agreed to protect American interests in the country and extend full cooperation to the US in identifying individuals or groups suspected of working against US interests. Home Secretary Omar Farooq and US Assistant Secretary for South Asia Christina Rocca signed the MoI on May 20.

The committee stressed intensifying the law enforcement agencies' efforts to stop smuggling of illegal firearms and explosives.

The meeting held at the home ministry was chaired by State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfozzaman Babar and attended by, among others, the home secretary, inspector general of police and director general of Bangladesh Rifles.

"Introduction of scanning machine will help check smuggling and enhancing security," Babar said. "It is not possible to check smuggling overnight and we are trying to find out the barriers to solving the problem."

He also said the committee ordered immediate disposal of smuggling cases across the country. It also ordered preparing a list of smugglers and hundi traders and submitting it at its next meeting.

The meeting decided setting up 10 cattle import corridors as suggested by the BDR and discussed steps to check raw hide smuggling.

It directed railway police to step up efforts to curb smuggling and suggested setting up mobile courts at Tongi, Koshba, Feni, Bilonia and some other railway stations.

The meeting also discussed measures to check drug smuggling and posting of women police at airports and land ports.