Kazi Zahidul Hasan :
The security agencies have enforced additional security measures in the capital and elsewhere in the country in a bid to prevent any untoward incident centering the celebration of 31st night, officials said.
They said such security measures was taken following intelligence inputs that suggested there could be terror attacks by local militant operatives including Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen (JMB) or IS inspired extremists during the 31st night celebration.
On Tuesday, the US embassy in Bangladesh warned Americans of possible attacks on hotels and clubs in the capital Dhaka during New Year’s eve celebrations.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) earlier imposed a ban on all outdoor programmes and gatherings from 31st night to the next day on security grounds.
The measure, however, forced the city-dwellers to stay confined in their residences cancelling the traditional New Year celebrations.
“As the final hours of 2015 draw to a close, we are bidding a weary adieu to 2015 as a result of ban on outdoor parties at night by the law-enforcing agencies,” Redwan Ahmed, a residential student of Mohsin Hall of the Dhaka University (DU), told The New Nation on Thursday night.
He said the recent terror attack by JMB men across the country left the government nervous this time and therefore, it prohibited 31St night celebration.
“The authorities have already sealed off the DU campus ruining our 31st night celebrations,” he added.
The DU campus’s Teachers and Students Centre (TSC) is traditionally a hot spot for 31th night celebrations in the city.
Earlier, the authorities of DU have imposed restriction on the entry of outsiders in the campus after 6pm on Thursday keeping mind in previous untoward incidents that happened in the campus.
While visiting the city’s key roads and intersection, this correspondent found that armed police were searching the passerby s setting up roadblocks and checkpoints.
“DMP has put a bar on 31th night events in open space as part of security alerts. Sheikh Maruf Hasan Sardar, a Deputy Commissioner of DMP, told The New Nation on Thursday night.
He added: The residents were asked to enjoy in door celebrations to maintain law and order and thwart any untoward incident.
According to him, police have already started patrolling important places in the capital alongside intense intelligence surveillance.
He said diplomatic enclaves, Dhaka university campus and posh areas of the capital city will be brought under a security blanket with the deployment of a large number of law-enforcers.
