UNDER BOMB THREAT

If you are a native resident of Dhaka and have been away for a while then you will notice the change in the security measures all through the city. Like it or not, you have to walk through the metal-detector archways and manual checking of your possessions in all the major cinema halls, 5 star hotels and in open public events like the book fair, cricket match in stadium and other festivities. I am wondering what next; shopping malls, schools & colleges perhaps.

I will try not to be sarcastic about the security measures as these reduce the general citizens' tension to some degree. But I am surprised that we are slowly accepting this culture instead of pushing the authorities to find out the real culprits of the recent bombings and discover why they are doing these. Somehow I get the same feeling of fear the US citizens had after the 9/11 as something evil is up against them and how the urge for better security changed their lives and behaviors.

I do not want archways to protect me. I want to go to the ekushey book fair without having a fear that there is a bomb lurking somewhere to hit me. I do not want to build a cage around me like the behula-Lakhindar story because even a strong cage could not prevent Lakhinder from dying.