Police patrol city streets with 3rd eye tonight

Police have prohibited New Year party or concert in any open place in Dhaka city tonight (Wednesday night to early morning Thursday). Police will be deployed in key points of the city and they will use cameras to keep vigil on the New Year’s eve to keep order. ‘Police sergeants will have special cameras wired to their bodies to video shoot pedestrians and vehicles in the capital,’ Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Benazir Ahmed said after inaugurating the service in Shahbagh at 11:30pm on Wednesday. Ahmed is going to take over as Director General of police’s crime busting unit – Rapid Action Battalion from the first day of 2015. ‘The service has been launched with 15 cameras. The DMP will gradually acquire 1,000 cameras,’ he said. The cameras will also be able to record the conversations of the sergeants that cannot be deleted. Deputy Police Commissioner (Finance and Budget) Imam Hossain said the footages captured by the cameras would be centrally monitored. Besides, there would be check posts in the important thoroughfares in addition to police patrol, he said. ‘No one will be able to enter Hatirjheel area after 8pm today. No outsider will be allowed in Gulshan, Baridhara, Banani and Dhaka University areas after midnight.’ Meanwhile, the commercial bars pulled down their shutter at 6pm following an order by the DMP, according to a news agency.