Annual Report - Police Reform Programme

Police Reform Programme
(Phase-II)
On 18 July 2012, the PRP inaugurated the first day-care centre at the Rajarbagh Police Lines in Dhaka.
The day-care centre will provide a safe and secure environment for up to fifty children, under the
supervision of an adult while their parents, mainly women police officers, are at work. The then
Honourable Minister of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Advocate
Sahara Khatun MP, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The
day-care centre will be run by the Ministry of Women and
Children Affairs. Mr. Hassan Mahmood Khandaker, Inspector
General of Police, stated that the percentage of women in the
Bangladesh Police has increased from 2% to 4% due to the
PRP's gender sensitive policing initiative and hoped that the
day-care centre will assist women members of the Bangladesh
Police to dedicate themselves to their work as their children will
receive the proper care that they deserve.
With the PRP's assistance, the BPWN organized three computer
courses for women police and a total of sixty women police from
different levels participated in the training held in Detective Training School in Dhaka. The BPWN
organized four additional computer courses for eighty female Sub-Inspectors and Constables with the
BPWN's own funds.
Under the UNiTE Against Violence campaign, in coordination with the UN system's efforts to eradicate
violence against women, The 16 Days of Activism was celebrated with six human chains organized in
six divisions. Nearly 400 men and women police officers, from the Additional IGP to Constables,
participated in the human chain organized in Dhaka on November 26th in front of Police Telecom in
Rajarbagh. About 125 participants took part in the human chain organized in Chittagong, 250 in Khulna,
125 in Barisal, 150 in Rajshahi and about 150 in Sylhet. These human chains created enormous
motivation and interest among the police and community people in stopping violence against women. A
community member stated that, "it [was] positive to see police holding placards to reduce violence
against women. Usually, [the community does] not observe this kind of activity by the police."
As members of the BPWN, three senior female police
officers increased their knowledge base on operations,
management and professional integrity by attending a
five-day Journey to the Edge conference, held from 9 to
13 September 2012 in St. John's, Newfoundland and
Labrador, Canada. The IAWP organized the conference
in order to strengthen, unite and raise the profile of
women in criminal justice. There was also an interactive
media lab training session which helped the participants
exchange their views and ideas.
Two mid-level
women police
o f f i c e r s
participated in a month-long course in Nepal, organized by
SANGAT, a South Asian Network. The main objectives of the
course were to develop conceptual understandings of gender,
development, women's leadership, globalisation, human rights
and peace. The course enhanced participants' skills and abilities
in examining their activities from a gender and human rights
perspective, analysing the problem of violence against women
(VAW) and ways to challenge VAW, networking and cooperating
for advocacy of gender equality across national borders.
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Annual Report 2012