The capital’s diplomatic zone, including Gulshan, Baridhara and Niketon, will be under surveillance of 400 CCTV cameras to ensure maximum security, said police.
The cameras, apart from functioning as regular CCTV cameras, will send beeps to the nearby police station and the control centre once any blacklisted vehicle or person or object is spotted.
Speakers of the cameras will be set up at 11 police checkposts where the duty officers would be able to hear the beeps.
“The beep will not stop until someone stops it and takes action. Officials of Gulshan division under Dhaka Metropolitan Police will supervise the whole operation,” a top DMP official of Gulshan division told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday, requesting anonymity.
He said the move is part of a project named “Digital Track” which was initiated on January 7 and was entirely financed by local businessmen.
“The project, estimated to cost around Tk7 crore, aims at stopping car thefts and other criminal acts in the area. It will be completed in three phases, with the first to be completed by April and the remaining two shortly afterwards,” said the official, who is one of the coordinators of the project.
Ataul Kibria, deputy commissioner of police chancery division, said the diplomatic zone was already under strict surveillance but necessary steps would be taken to ensure the highest security.
Lutful Kabir, deputy commissioner of Gulshan division of police, told the Dhaka Tribune the CCTV cameras would not only help monitor criminal acts in the area but would also largely help prevent any sudden or secret attack made recently by blockaders.
“The project is advancing in full swing, especially after the attack on BNP chief Khaleda Zia’s adviser Reaz Rahman in Gulshan 2 on January 13. 12 cameras have already been set up at Gulshan 2 intersection and Gulshan Shooting Club, and those will be controlled from Gulshan police station,” he added.
Rafiqul Islam, officer-in-charge of Gulshan police station, said a control tower would be set up for the cameras at the police station and also at DMP headquarters.
“The 2-megapixel cameras of Lilin brand will be able to detect the faces of car drivers. Once all the cameras are installed, we will be able to nab criminals shortly,” he said.
Md Shamsul Arefin Chowdhury, president of Niketon Welfare Society, said the project was taken to heighten security and to make it easy for police to nab criminals after committing crimes.