With the Prime Minister cautioning about possible terror attacks on ministers, the Cabinet Division has asked the works ministry to install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at residences of ministers, state ministers and deputy ministers within the shortest possible time.
At present, the houses of only a few ministers are equipped with CCTV cameras, sources in the Cabinet Division and the works ministry said. Even the home minister's residence does not have such a facility, they added.
The Cabinet Division recently wrote to the works secretary, directing that CCTV cameras be installed as per the existing Ministers, State Ministers and Deputy Ministers' (Remuneration and Privileges) Rules, the sources said. Law enforcement and intelligence agencies currently provide security to all categories of ministers. The deputy commissioner  
(protection) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), Mohammad Ibrahim Khan, said they  provide security to all ministers when they move around and also at their residences. “Police escorts are provided during their movement, and policemen in uniform or even in plain clothes are deployed at their residences. We also keep a watch on people visiting their residences,” the police officer added. The secretary of the housing and public works ministry,
Md Shahid Ulla Khandaker, told The Independent that they have asked the works department to install CCTV cameras at the residences of all ministers soon. “They will install the security device after procuring them from the local market,” he said.
The chief engineer of the Public Works Department (PWD), Md. Hafizur Rahman Munshi, told this correspondent that they are assessing the requirement of CCTV cameras through their employees. “We’ll get the CCTV cameras within a week and then start installing them,” he said.
He said some ministers stay in their own houses, but most of them live in government residences in the city’s Minu Road, Gulshan, Banani, Dhanmondi and Baily Road areas. All of them will have CCTV cameras.
The home ministry, PWD and the DMP had not taken any steps to install the security device. Finally, the Cabinet Division took it up following the Prime Minister’s advice to her cabinet colleagues to move about carefully and be alert against possible terror attacks.
It is surprising that most of the ministers’ houses do not have CCTV cameras. This makes them vulnerable to attacks. A CCTV camera identifies all visitors and their movements, and it would also help the police to catch criminals if any untoward incident takes place.