Bangladesh: UNODC promotes community policing approaches to countering terrorism and violent extremism 

Khulna, Bangladesh/15 May 2023: Globally, violent extremism and terrorism remain critical theatres to public safety, security, stability, and human rights. Effectively tackling these urgent challenges requires a holistic strategy that combines law enforcement actions with preventative measures. This involves establishing national strategies and legal frameworks, strengthening law enforcement and intelligence capacities, fostering international collaboration and information sharing, and addressing the root socio-economic causes that fuel violent extremism. In this endeavor, community policing is a vital component--engaging community members and fostering trust—to cultivate an environment conducive to active cooperation and information exchange.

In this direction, UNODC has partnered with the Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU) of the Bangladesh Police to convene a series of consultation to promote community-based policing strategies—with focus on improved research, training, national coordination, regional networking, and women-led policing. The project, funded by the Government of Canada, seeks to take a multidimensional approach to preventing radicalization, and provide support for the rehabilitation and reintegration of individuals involved in violent activities.

Building on previous similar interventions conducted in Dhaka, Rajshahi and Mymensingh, this regional consultation workshop was hosted in Khulna, to identify existing gaps, challenges, and future interventions in strengthening community and beat policing mechanisms.

Supported by Global Affairs Canada, the regional consultation brought together 80 participants, including officials from Bangladesh Police, such as the Anti-Terrorism Unit, Range Police Officers, Community and Beat Police Officers, Metropolitan Police Officers, and representatives from print and electronic media.

The workshop provided a platform to promote a shared understanding of how community members and law enforcement agencies can complement ongoing efforts in preventing violent extremism and countering terrorism--as well as generate recommendations, policy inputs and strategies to develop interventions in Khulna.

Through a series of four intensive group deliberations, participants discussed various aspects of countering and preventing violent extremism: Group 1 analyzed the strengths, challenges, and opportunities of community and beat policing; Group 2 explored ways to actively involve these approaches in countering extremism; Group 3 identified policy and training needs in the field; and Group 4 discussed strategies for enhancing awareness and communication in countering and preventing violent extremism.

Participants called for additional capacity-building for community and beat police officers—especially on identifying and responding to signs of radicalization and extremism, as well as building skills in communication, negotiation, and conflict resolution.

These insights will be further leveraged by the Bangladesh Police and UNODC in collaborative efforts to strengthen security, peace and to counter terrorism in Bangladesh.

In recent years, UNODC has been working closely with Bangladesh Police to improve the country's criminal justice system and counter-terrorism capacities. This joint initiative has focused on enhancing the capacity of law enforcement agencies to better investigate and prosecute terrorist activities, strengthening border management, and promoting inter-agency cooperation in counter-terrorism efforts.

This activity contributed to SDG 5, SDG 16 and SDG 17: https://sdg-tracker.org/

(Supported by Global Affairs Canada)