Safety, security equipment yet to gain popularity

The demand for safety and security equipment -- from smart home systems to modern fire extinguishers -- has not yet gained momentum in Bangladesh, market insiders said yesterday.

Use of such tools in residences and construction sites is rising albeit very slowly, said local and foreign participants at the closing of a three-day international exhibition organised by CEMS Global at International Convention City Bashundhara focusing the hardware.

“The demand for the products is increasing in Bangladesh thanks to the realisation of their usefulness,” Fazlay Rabbi, director (business development) of Zenith Safety Solution, which retails construction safety equipment, told The Daily Star.    

He said awareness started to increase just three to four years ago, for which the market size is very small.

Interest is growing on new, innovative products, such as a fire retardant resembling a bowling ball but half the size being marketed by Sajeeb Group.  It simply has to be tossed into an affected area before it bursts at a particular temperature and douses the fire. 

Imported from China and costing Tk 700 a piece, the ball can cover an area of three cubic metres, said Manager (sales) Nittya Gopal Das. 

Other eye-catching products include door locks of Indian smart home systems manufacturer Tekno Electro Solutions.

Assistant Engineer (tech and sales) Arun Kumar said apart from conventional keys, their locks had options with biometrics, punch cards, passwords, Bluetooth and could even be remotely controlled over the internet using a mobile phone.

Stating that the locks are priced at around Tk 20,000 in Bangladesh and Rs 18,000 in India, he said they were exploring the Bangladesh market for exporting their smart home system products.

There were also automatic roller swing and collapsible gates, hydraulic bollard barriers and windows which worked with remote controls, marketed by A2Z Automation Engineering.