DHAKA UNIVERSITY: The whole campus area of Dhaka University (DU) is set to be brought under the monitor of close circuit television (CCTV) with the view to enhance security in the area.

The authorities have already started installation of CCTVs in the students’ halls.

DU proctor office sources confirmed the matter to banglanews.

DU Proctor Professor Amzad Hossain and several hall provosts told banglanews that the university administration became anxious about the security of the area over regular cocktail and petrol bomb blasts during the ceaseless movement by BNP in February.

In this regard, a provost standing committee meeting, chaired by vice-chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddique, was held in the last week of February.

The committee came up with the decisions of installing CCTVs in every hall, to be monitored by the hall authorities.

Moreover, stronger CCTVs will be installed at TSC, VC Chattar, Arts Building, Business Faculty building, central library and entrances of the university, to be monitored by the proctor’s office centrally.

Proctor Professor Amzad Hossain also said the halls have already started installing CCTVs but the central installation work was delayed due to financial crisis.

Some 116 CCTVs will be setup at important places of the campus and it will cost around Tk 1-crore, he added.

However, University Grants Commission (UGC) setup an underground cable connection on the campus, financed by World Bank (WB), under the Higher Education Quality Enhancement Project (HEQEP) to bring the DU campus under optical fiber.

The administration is conducting feasibility test to run CCTVs with the help of these cables, he added.

“We have talked with the experts and they said CCTVs can be used with these internet cables. This would reduce the cost,” he added.

Professor Amzad also said they would setup a monitoring room for CCTVs.

However, he declined to talk about any fixed date to complete the task.

Kabi Jasimuddin Hall’s provost Professor Dr Rahmat Ullah told banglanews that they have installed nine CCTVs, out of them, six were working.

Muktijoddha Ziaur Rahman Hall has also been brought under CCTV coverage. All five halls for female students are also brought under the monitoring.

However, DMP will coordinate with the university authorities to keep law and order situation under-control on special days like Pahela Baishakh or other festival days, he added.

BDST: 2130 HRS, MAY 18, 2015
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