Bangladesh: UNODC Promotes Community Policing to Counter Terrorism and Violent Extremism

Dhaka, Bangladesh/25 March 2023:  Community policing plays a crucial role in national efforts to counter terrorism and violent extremism. With community policing, law enforcement agencies work closely with community members, build trust, and create an enabling environment for active cooperation and exchange of information.

In Bangladesh, UNODC has partnered with the Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU) of Bangladesh Police to support such community-based approaches to policing--including enhanced research, training, national coordination and regional networking, as well as a central role for women-led policing.

Supported by the Government of Canada, the project aims to strengthen a multi-dimensional approach--with a focus on both, law enforcement and community engagement--to prevent radicalization and support rehabilitation and reintegration of those involved in violent activities.

Launching the project, UNODC brought together over 150 key stakeholders in Bangladesh to discuss joint initiatives and the proposed interventions. The launch was attended by Mr. Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, Inspector General of Police, Bangladesh; Ms. Lilly Nicholls, High Commissioner of Canada in Bangladesh and Mr. Marco Teixeira, Regional Representative, UNODC Regional Office for South Asia. A detailed presentation on planned initiatives under the project was shared with the stakeholders, and inputs, suggestions, and observations were received.

The project will focus on developing community policing initiatives that address the root causes of violent extremism, promote inclusiveness, and build trust and cooperation between law enforcement and communities.  At the same time, capacities of law enforcement officials will also be enhanced to effectively detect, prevent, and respond to violent extremist threats through training and equipment support.

Additionally, the project will facilitate regional networking and knowledge-sharing on community policing practices to counter violent extremism and terrorism. The project will also establish a national coordination mechanism on community policing for countering violent extremism and terrorism, including the establishment of a dedicated unit within the Bangladesh Police to oversee and coordinate the implementation of community policing initiatives.

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

(Supported by the Government of Canada)