Law enforcing agencies are taking additional security measures in and around the capital Dhaka to avoid any untoward situation centering today’s grand rallies of the major political parties.
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) held a series of meetings to finalise additional security plans in a bid to protect life and property of the city dwellers.
Various intelligence agencies have also intensified their vigilance both manually and digitally as part of their coordinated security arrangement regarding the grand rallies.
Cyber police were also monitoring the virtual world so that no vested group could massively spread rumours as part of their deep rooted conspiracy to oust the current elected government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
DMP started installing over 60 CCTV cameras around the central office of BNP in the capital's Nayapaltan area as the party is set to hold a grand rally there today (Saturday).
DMP's Detective Branch Chief Additional Commissioner Harun-Or-Rashid disclosed the information after visiting the spot on Friday.
"Around 60 CCTV cameras are being set up around Nayapaltan and the Nightingale intersection area," he said.
The cameras are being set up to maintain security during the rally and to ensure the safety of the common people who might join the rally, police officials said.
The footage from the cameras will be analysed through a central monitoring system, he added.
Speaking about his visit, the DMP official said multiple DB teams are visiting different areas of the capital as hundreds of thousands of people are expected to gather here to join the grand rallies announced by the political parties.
Replying to a query about possible police actions if Jamaat holds its announced rally at Motijheel's Shapla Chattar, Harun said, "If a political party is not registered, they won't be allowed to hold rallies just because they want to.
Lakhs of people will enter Dhaka and a third party might try to do something unpleasant. That is why our patrol party has been strengthened."
DMP sources said over 15,000 DMP personnel will be deployed and another 5,000 members will be kept stand by for any emergency situation.
RAB also strengthened security measures in Dhaka city ahead of the rallies of both Awami League and BNP.
More than 1,500 RAB members have been deployed in the capital to ensure public safety and prevent vandalism ahead of political rallies.
As part of its elaborate security preparations, RAB members are conducting searches at checkposts set up in the capital's key points.
They have also increased patrolling and deployed plain-clothed officials for surveillance across the city.
RAB-1 members are stationed at Abdullahpur, Rampura, Purbachal 300 feet and Amtali checkposts, while RAB-2 is present at Basila, Agargaon and Shishu Mela points.
RAB-3 members are conducting search operations in front of the Secretariat and Notre Dame College in the capital's Kamalapur area.
Rab-4 members are conducting searches of people and vehicles at Kachukhet, Technical, Mirpur Kazipara, Savar and Manikganj. Rab-10 were seen doing the same at Demra, Postgola and Syedabad points.
RAB-2 has deployed pickups and motorcycles to patrol Mohammadpur, Adabar, Dhanmondi, Kalabagan, Newmarket, Hazaribagh, Sherbangla Nagar, Tejgaon and Tejgaon industrial areas of the capital, reads a press release published Friday.
In order to strengthen the security in the areas under the responsibility of RAB-2, the team's captain is regularly supervising the activities of the patrol teams and providing necessary guidance, it added.
As the Awami League and BNP-Jamaat gear up for massive shows of strength in the capital on 28 October, concerns about potential violence have grown and the issues of venue and permission for the opposition rallies have become a source of contention.
The Awami League, BNP, and Jamaat-e-Islami on Thursday reiterated that they will hold rallies at their announced venues in Dhaka today as planned, despite not receiving permission from the DMP.