Dhaka, Cox’s Bazar police alerted after New Zealand attack

The police on Friday alerted their units in Cox’s Bazar and tightened checkpoints in the capital’s Gulshan and Baridhara diplomatic areas after the extremist attack in mosques in New Zealand that left at least 49 people, including three Bangladeshis, killed.
The police officials said that they always kept their force on alert but additional precaution was prescribed as soon as the shooting incident in mosques was reported in the media.
Police headquarters spokesperson assistant inspector general Md Sohel Rana told New Age that they already alerted all unit chiefs across the country so that no untoward incident could take place in reaction to the New Zealand shooting incident.
‘We do not have any security threat but precautionary measure is taken to avoid any incident,’ he said.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police diplomatic security division deputy commissioner Hayatul Islam Khan said, ‘We have alerted our force already and asked them to keep vigilance at all the checkpoints.’
He said that his force was kept on high alert considering the security arrangement at the diplomatic enclave in the capital’s Gulshan and Baridhara. 
Police officials in Cox’s Bazar said that they geared up their security checking and intelligence vigilance considering the presence of high number of foreigners in the district working with local and international NGOs and UN agencies to deal with Rohingya crises. 
‘We have issued fresh instructions to our force following the incident,’ said Cox’s Bazar police superintendent ABM Masud Hossain. 
According to the office of the refugee relief and repatriation commissioner, over 1,300 foreigners, including from New Zealand, are working in the district mainly in Rohingya-related operations. 
Addition refugee relief and repatriation commissioner Md Shamsuzzaman said that the aid workers had earlier been asked not to stay in the camp after 5:00pm.
‘But, now, we requested them not to work in the camps on weekend without informing the camp-in-charge,’ he said.
A police official in Cox’s Bazar said that they revised their alert to different units to deal with security meant for the foreigners more cautiously.
‘We have increased our vigilance in restaurants and facilities where foreigners regularly visit or stay,’ said the official.
The Cox’s Bazar police also shared a number (01727666666) for its control room for any emergency help.
In the past, the police had requested foreigners and their local representatives not to visit beach after 7:00pm and to move around the town in groups.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net