A buyer taking a look at security devices at a shop at Stadium Market in the capital on Thursday. — FE Photo
Sales of security devices including close-circuit (CC) camera, archways and metal detectors have marked a significant rise in recent months following growing security concerns among the people in the capital and elsewhere in the country.
Some recent acts of violence including the murders of bloggers and foreigners in Dhaka have created panic among the people across the country.
This has led to the rush for buying security products.
As this correspondent was enquiring about the situation with sales of security gadgets, some nine buyers came and looked for CCTV camera and other products in only 13 minutes at Camera Museum, an importer, wholesaler and retailer of security products in the Stadium market in the city.
There are some 70-80 shops in Stadium market and adjacent areas that sell security products. They said their sales have gone up manifold in recent months.
"We sold 30 metal-detecting archways in November alone. Earlier we used to sell one or two in one month," said Babul Khan, Manager of Camera Museum. About 2,000 kinds of security products are being imported into Bangladesh.
Another leading importer and wholesaler is Camera Vision. The owner of Camera Vision Abdus Salam said though there is no official number it is assumed that the market is growing at a faster rate.
He guesstimated the present market size of the security solutions across the country was about Tk 8 billion a year.
The popular security product, among hundreds, is close circuit camera along with monitoring devices. The rate is reasonable and it can be installed anywhere with large memory cards inside recording inputs of one day to one month at a stretch.
Mr Babul Khan said they have enough technical hands to install devices at homes, offices, industries and they also give post-sales services along with guarantees and warrantees.
They have products specially cameras, ranging from Tk 2,100 to Tk 2,50,000.
Most of the surveillance and security products are imported from China, while some are brought from Singapore.
Digital Security World owner Oliar Rahman said the demand for CCTV cameras and access networks is quite high.
Metal-detecting archways and surveillance devices are also in demand, according to market insiders.
Industrialists are some of the biggest buyers of security products, followed by banks, corporate houses, shopping centres, restaurant owners and police, who have installed surveillance devices on many streets in Dhaka.
Individuals too are not far behind, seeking enhanced personal security options like round-the-clock surveillance at their homes.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) recently asked multistoried residential building owners to install CCTV and keep constant monitoring and recordings after attack on three bloggers entering homes and offices.
Muntasir Islam, Deputy Police Commissioner of DMP said they have more than 1,000 CCTV across the city installed by their departments.
"We have a plan to cover entire city with CC cameras gradually," he said adding they have been holding meetings with apartment building societies to convince them to set up CC cameras.
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