Upper left panel: J-band image of the region toward IRAS 16353−4636, obtained with the NTT on 2004 July 10. Levels: 1, 3, 5, 10, 20, ..., 100, 120, 150, 190, 250, 320, and 400 Jy. The uncertainty in the position of the IRAS source is indicated by an ellipse. Upper right panel: the same as the upper left panel but in the H band. Levels: 5, 10, 20, ..., 400 Jy. We show the position and size of the slit used for spectroscopic purposes. Lower left panel: the same as the upper left panel but in the K_s band. Levels: 20, 30, ..., 400 Jy. The extended emission appears more clearly than in the J- and H-band images. Several point-like sources are visible, and labeled with numbers as in Table 3, at increasing right ascension. Lower right panel: continuum emission at 17.344 GHz in greyscale and grey contours, superimposed on to black contours corresponding to strongest near-IR K_s sources. North is up and east is to the left.