Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), in view of security concerns of foreign diplomats based in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka, is set to install 500 more closed-circuit (CC) cameras in the diplomatic enclave in Banani-Gulshan-Baridhara as well as Niketon by next month.
With the financial assistance from local business communities, DNCC takes this new security initiative with a view to building an atmosphere of confidence among the foreign diplomats, international organisation members and foreign buyers.
The decision came out of a law and order co-ordination committee’s (LOCC) meeting held at DNCC headquarters presided by Mayor Annisul Huq.
Bangladesh’s diplomatic zone is located under DNCC.
Earlier, the DNCC installed a total of 646 CC cameras at its own cost together with the financial assistance from business communities and various local and foreign organisations, said DNCC’s public relation
officer Monzur-E-Mowla.
As a result, law and order situation has improved a lot with minor crimes almost eliminated. The new 500 CC cameras’ installation will further strengthen the security in this area, he said, adding that the corporation has planned to take all its areas under CC camera coverage.
Senior DNCC officials, local MP and also president of local law and order co-ordination committee A K M Rahmatullah, former chief election commissioner Shamsul Huda, and representatives of Gulshan, Baridhara, Banani and Niketan societies were present at the meeting.
Earlier, expressing serious concern over the systematic attacks and gradual escalation of terrorism and violent extremism, foreign diplomats in Dhaka stressed the need for more
effective security steps.
They also expressed their dismay over militants’ targeting foreigners in Bangladesh, especially those who had come to Bangladesh with intent to help the country in socio-economic development, poverty alleviation, infrastructure
development and business.
Taking part in a recent discussion at a diplomatic briefing arranged by the foreign ministry, the diplomats called for conducting transparent investigation, maintaining the international standard, into the July 1 terrorist attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan.
About 10 ambassadors including the ones from the USA, European Union, Japan, Korea Germany, Thailand, Egypt and UN representatives spoke on the occasion and asked Foreign Minister A H Mahmood Ali questions.
The minister briefed more than 50 diplomats.
A source who attended the meeting said an ambassador told the discussion that the Bangladesh government did not follow up with the intelligence information on terrorism it was provided by other states as warnings.
Sources who attended the meeting said several diplomats were highly critical of the government’s ‘lapses in preventing attacks on the foreigners’. They were also critical of the security measures of the diplomatic corps in Bangladesh.
Ambassadors of the US, Germany, Korea, France and UN representatives expressed concern at the gradual increase of terrorist attacks in Bangladesh that left foreigners, people of minority communities, secular writers and intellectuals killed.
Stressing the need for extensive and aggressive measures to contain terrorism, the diplomats asked the Bangladesh government to use all its strength available to ensure that those responsible for planning and executing the July-1 attack are brought to the book and such future attacks are prevented.
The US ambassador offered the Bangladesh government the immediate help of US law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, said a diplomatic source.