BANGLADESH

The incident of capturing videos through close-circuit TV (CCTV) cameras in Persona Beauty Parlour should be investigated properly, says information commissioner Sadeka Halim.

"Beauty parlour is a sensitive place. If there's any CCTV camera, it should be brought to the notice of the clients," Sadeka said.

"We should also investigate into what is happening in the so-called parlours in Dhaka," she added.

The information commissioner told on Tuesday, "There is no guideline on setting up CCTV cameras. The concern should made a guideline at the earliest."

On Sept 30 evening, a female doctor went for a spa at Persona's Banani branch on Road No. 11. She found a camera in the dressing room she was using for changing. The woman complained verbally to police, spoke to the media and called up her businessman husband.

Later police rushed to the spot and took control of the situation.

The couple said that they would not file any case over the incident for the sake of privacy and honour.

Persona and the husband of the victim jointly published a statement in some local newspapers on Tuesday saying the incident was a 'misunderstanding'.

Reacting to the incident, physiologist Farzana Halim Neela said, "The incident is very embarrassing for any woman … there's some kind of smokescreen..."

Jahangirnagar University Anthropology professor Ainun Nahar said, "Actually it is not very clear what happened there that day. I thing some attempts are being made to cover up the issue. Anyway, they have interfered into woman's freedom."

Banna Mirza, a prominent drama actor said, "I am not sure what happened in Persona, but I believe the reality will reveal itself only after a through investigation. But if the privacy has been intruded, it is a matter of anxiety for the entire society."

Jahangirnagar University English department teacher Farzana Jabin Khan said, "I read the statement of Kaniz Aslam in the newspaper but could not find an answer - why a camera should be there in the changing room? We do not expect such behaviour from a woman towards another. She has insulted all women of Bangladesh."

After the incident, five lawyers from Dhaka Judge Court sent legal notices to the proprietor of Persona on Monday. A sub-inspector of Gulshan Police Station was also suspended temporarily for negligence in his duty.

A Gulshan police sub-inspector has been suspended for destroying evidence and neglecting duty after seizing a close-circuit TV camera of Persona Beauty Parlour.

On Sept 30 evening, a female doctor went for a spa at the parlour's branch at Banani road no 11. She discovered a camera in the dressing room she was using for changing. The woman complained verbally to police, spoke to the media and called up her businessman husband, causing rancour.

Once there, the husband erased images of her from the parlour's computer in presence of sub-inspector Mehedy Masud.

Gulshan circle's deputy police commissioner Lutful Kabir told . "The relevant official reached the scene immediately after the incident. The video footage was deleted in presence of the officer. He has been suspended for his failure to protect the evidence of such a sensitive case."

Police have formed a committee, headed by additional deputy police commissioner Nizamul Haque Molla, to investigate the incident. Two others on the committee are assistant commissioners Mizanur Rahman and Nurul Alam.

Lutful Kabir told, "We have constituted an investigation committee since the Persona incident is very sensitive. The committee will investigate the incident, police officer's role and the logics behind installation of the camera."

The committee will submit a report in the next three days, he said.

Cameras, however, remain hanging in other rooms of Persona.

Discussions raged on social networking site facebook.com and blogs over the secret cameras in the parlour.

But owner Kaniz Almas told  on Sept 1, "The cameras are there for security reasons and I do not think they are violating anyone's privacy."

"Persona will not bring down any cameras," she added.

Despite widespread controversy, Persona beauty parlour authorities maintain they will not remove the close-circuit TV cameras from their rooms.

Managing director Kaniz Almas Khan told  on Saturday the cameras were there for security reasons and she did not think they were violating anyone's privacy.

The husband of the doctor who complained about the cameras on Friday said they will not file any cases.

A doctor who went to the parlour's Banani Road 11 branch on Friday for a spa found a CCTV in her dressing room after she used it.

The lady made a verbal complaint with police and the media for filming her.

While the 'exclusive suite' the doctor had visited had no cameras on Saturday, several other cameras were found in the other rooms.

Persona assistant manager 'Farhana' said the cameras had been placed there since an incident of theft at the branch.

The doctor's husband told bdnews24.com: "To file a case we'll have to go to court and show images of my wife. We're not filing a case for the sake of honour. But I'll advice everyone to remain cautious."

He said the recording that had been recovered contained images of his wife changing and having a spa and he had erased them immediately.

Kaniz Almas, however, denied that there could be such images in the video.

"The CCTV only covers the room's door. There is no scope of filming anything offensive," she said.

"Why would we make explicit videos? The cameras are there for security and supervision of workers. And they are not hidden," she said.

Gulshan Police Station sub-inspector Mehedi Masud told  they did not find the camera in the room on Friday evening. "But from where it was placed, it could cover the whole room," he asserted.

Police have seized the camera and the computer hard disk.

SI Masud said police have urged the victim and her husband to file a written complaint.