Mohosinul Karim
Security at Secretariat has been seriously hampered as the planned installations of 343 new digital and modern closed-circuit televisions (CCTV), three more monitoring rooms and seven watchtowers are yet to be completed.
The law enforcers are now struggling without the facilities in maintaining Secretariat's security depending on the existing old model and analogue CCTVs.
The contractors who were given the work orders to implement the Tk 6.22 crore project claimed that they cannot finish the work as the necessary fund was not released from the authority.
The authority concerned, however, denied the allegation saying that adequate funds were released to implement the project, which is very much relevant in ensuring security of the most important Key Point Installation in the premises.
It's the failure of the contractors to complete the installation works within its stipulated time, said the official.
When contacted, State Minister for Home Affairs, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said that he was unaware of the installation of CCTVs inside the Secretariat buildings.
"I will ask the authorities concerned about the dilemma of installing the most needed CCTVs. Necessary steps will be taken if there is any mistake or negligence of the authorities concerned," the minister assured.
After the incident of Sunday's bomb attack at the Secretariat, its Security Branch's Assistant Commissioner Monirul Islam told The Daily Observer that the contractors who were given the work orders to install the components are very much reluctant.
As a result, they could not complete the work in last seven months.
Imran Hossain, an engineer of the Shinest Electronics Ltd, which was awarded the installation work on June 17 to complete the work within 75 days of work order, as a lowest bidder said that they could not complete the work in time due to shortage of money as the authorities concerned failed to supply necessary funds within the stipulated time.
"Finally, we could manage to complete installation of cables inside the Secretariat to install the equipment. We hope that the installation of the CCTVs will be completed by this month," Hossain added.
The government has initiated installing new CCTVs, monitoring rooms and watchtowers 10 years after setting up 192 analogue CCTVs and a monitoring room for the whole Secretariat as per the demand of the Secretariat Security Branch of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
According to the officials, those were installed in 2004 to monitor the security system of the Secretariat. Of the total, around 72 CCTVs had already gone out of order.
Secretariat Security Branch's Assistant Commissioner Monirul Islam told The Daily Observer, "We have requested the Ministry of Home to install new digital CCTVs, increase the number of monitoring rooms and set up watchtowers for the Secretariat after failing to identify a complainant who claimed that his motorbike was stolen from the Secretariat as the picture was not clear."
He continued, "The complainant could not identify himself watching the images in the CCTVs. We requested the Ministry of Home to streamline the security system and install new CCTVs."
The Public Works Department will initially increase the number of CCTVs from 192 to 535 installing additional 343 more CCTVs, three more monitoring rooms and seven watchtowers with a view to ensuring the security of the Secretariat. The number will be increased to 622 later installing more new CCTVs, said Public Works Department Executive Engineer Shamsul Alam.