Special Correspondent :
With two weeks away from the Eid-ul Fitr when city shopping malls usually stay overflowed bustling with shoppers, most of those now stand deserted due to excessive security measures fearing terror attacks.
Officials said police have been kept alert on business houses, financial institutions, mass gatherings, popular spots, restaurants, amusement centers and shopping malls as part of security arrangements ahead of the Eid-ul Fitr, one of the biggest religious festivals of the Muslims.
But apart from government security apparatus, the private guards employed by the market authorities also remain busy to check and monitor the movement of the customers. It creates jam at the entrances of the shopping malls as security men inspect the cars to find out any explosives.
Genuine shoppers’ mood is disturbed when they are instructed to go through the archways and the security guards search their bodies, check their bags, etcetera though these markets are covered with close-circuit-cameras.
This correspondent found a similar condition at DCC Market Gulshan-1, DCC Market Gulshan-2, Gulshan Centre Point, Jamuna Future Park, Bashundhara City, Karnaphuli Garden City, Simanto Square, Twin City Concord Shopping Complex, Rapa Plaza, Rajlaxmi Complex, Rajmoni Ishakha Shopping Complex and Rajuk Trade Center.
Several shop owners, wishing not to be named, said that their business has fallen up to 70 per cent for the excessive security check.
Abul Mia, a security guard of Bashundhara City, said, “We’ve no other alternative. We’re asked to conduct the checking…..I think, the number of customers has reduced in the recent days.”
It’s not the end. The eateries of posh areas have also been facing similar situation where the law enforcers applied excessive security measures. The owners fear that they will not be able to make profit during the Eid festival due to excessive security checks.
An example can be cited here which depicts the real picture of café and restaurant in the diplomatic zone. Steak House, situated on road -90, Gulshan-2 has been losing customers due to tight security arrangements made by the law enforcement agencies. The owner now fears that the occasional customers will also be discouraged to come to his restaurant during the festival.
A senior official of Dhaka Metropolitan Police preferring to remain anonymous told The New Nation on Sunday, “We’ve rearranged the security measures in the wake of constant terror threat. In this sitiution, we’ve given special attention to the café and restaurants at Gulshan and Banani.”
Expressing discontent, an owner of an eatery at Gulshan-2 said, “Police want that the hotel and restaurant owners will install archways, CCTV cameras and scanning machines at their business houses. Such arrangement is possible only for the hotels. But it is not possible to install such equipment at the restaurants due to shortage of space.”
Meanwhile, an official order signed by DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia has recently been sent to the Additional Commissioners, Joint Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners and Officers-in Charge of the police stations in the city.
Getting instruction from the police high-ups, selected members of the police force equipped with sophisticated firearms have taken position at the police stations, outposts and police boxes in the capital to thwart any possible terror attack. Directives have also been given to take additional security measures around the key-point-installations (KPIs) during the Eid holidays.
Police Headquarters sources said that similar measures have also been taken at other KPIs and police stations across the country. The police stations are ordered not to allow leave to the senior officials at a time and OCs are asked to get permission from the DCs before leaving their station area. The police personnel are also asked to remain alert before taking meal from the outsiders.
As per order, minimum five police members will be deployed at one check post. Of them, three will be on guard while two others will conduct search. Considering the area, the DC or ADC or AC will have to stay alert the whole night to discharge his duties.
In this situation, the entry of general people has been restricted in the police stations where main gates are kept closed after the dusk. Police patrol parties have been advised to keep sufficient arms-ammunition while on duty, according to the officials.
