Can we ever feel safe again?

These days it does not take much to get panicky. Any loud noise sounds like a bomb blast – it could be a blown out transformer from a crow's misstep, a tire bursting in the middle of the road or just some wedding revellers using firecrackers to celebrate the idea of marital bliss. Similarly, any young man with a backpack makes one nervous, reminding us of that dark, dark July 1 night of horror that haunts us all too often. 

Which is why when a worried relative calls in the morning to say a building in Gulshan 1 has been surrounded by police as a response to a possible terrorist attack, it is normal to feel jittery. In a matter of a few hours, it is clear that this is not a militant hostage takeover or even a bank robbery, as rumours have it, but an attempt to steal from a showroom. The grand response to the 'incident' includes armoured cars and fire service vehicles being drafted into the cordon and members of police's SWAT team and RAB rushing to the venue. But after three hours of searching, all the security forces find are two backpacks with a large number of mobile phones in them. 

While some people will snigger at the overzealous response of the police and other security agents, personally I think it's good that they acted fairly fast - even if they couldn't catch anyone. It is better to be over cautious than complacent and clueless. Had we been this vigilant and prompt, perhaps those precious lives lost on July 1 and later on July 6 could have been saved.

Other measures taken to apparently make us feel more secure are not completely foolproof. Gulshan at present, resembles a war zone with police check points at several entrances to the area and many of the alleys completely cordoned off. At night, getting out of Gulshan is like being in a crazy maze – every road apart from the main road is closed off with barricades, so the only way to go is to take the main roads, exacerbating an already aggravating gridlock. Many Gulshan dwellers and surrounding areas suffer what they consider daily harassment in terms of the way they are treated by some law enforcers every time they enter their own neighbourhood. But they still put up with the inconveniences in the hope of more security. 

The truth is, it is impossible for security personnel to check every single vehicle or person carrying a backpack. While the main entry points have check points, there are side roads that can circumvent them. There are metal detectors at malls but security personnel are not really trained to react when they go off while many women customers get away without even their bags getting checked. 

Reinforcing the earlier ban on commercial establishments that include restaurants, cafes and shops because of 'security reasons' is also not the answer. Eating out and shopping are the two main entertainment options for most people in this city, and depriving them of this will only add to the misery and unease. It will definitely not bring back our foreign friends.

So what is the answer, how can we make ourselves more secure? Certainly a counter terrorism team capable of quick, definite, efficient responses to such situations is certainly a step up in security measures. Those in charge of checking vehicles and people must take their job seriously without resorting to highhandedness. Instead of cordoning off one side of the road, there can be more security personnel to check vehicles on both sides. The 100 CC cameras installed in Gulshan, Baridhara and Niketon areas should be properly maintained. But nothing is as important as developing the intelligence needed to prevent further acts of terror. This includes getting information from ordinary citizens. A large part of the investigation of the Holy Artisan Bakery attack was based on what an amateurish video by a Korean national revealed. 

It will be a while before we can feel completely safe again. While vigilance is crucial on the part of law enforcers and ordinary citizens alike, going into a panic mode will not help. 

The writer is a freelance journalist.