Quarterly Progress Report: January-March--2008 - Police Reform ...

Executive SummaryThe Police Reform Programme of the Government of Bangladesh is beingimplemented by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) and the Bangladesh Police inpartnership with UNDP, DFID and EC. The Programme was launched in late 2005with the technical and financial assistance from UNDP as lead donor and DFID asmajor cost sharing partner. In 2007 European Commission joined the programme andcontributed two million EURO to integrate the Anti-trafficking of Human Beingscomponent into the program. As per the Project Support Document, the first phase (3years) of the project was due for completion by August 2007. However, the ProjectSteering Committee approved a no-cost extension to the project until December 2008based on positive findings by DFID’s Output to Purpose Review Mission, which wasconducted in June 2007. There has been a marked acceleration in the progress ofproject activities in first the quarter (January-March) of 2008.Policy Reform and DevelopmentOne of the major achievements in 2007 was the final drafting of a new BangladeshPolice Ordinance, to replace the Police Act of 1861, seen as a major stumbling blockto modernization and transformation of the Bangladesh Police into a police service.The Ordinance has been submitted to MoHA for the vetting process.Revision of the Police Regulations Bengal 1944 is underway.A new Evidence Act has been drafted and will replace the legislation dating back to1872 as the fundamental foundation to change the current testimony based systemtowards modern hard evidence based investigation and court procedures. Theproposed ordinances have been submitted to MoHA in November 2007 for vettingprocess.Gender Guidelines for the Bangladesh Police has been finalized and released inNovember 2007. Implementation is being monitored by a committee at the thanalevel. Bangladesh lacks services and also appropriate legislation to address domesticviolence. PRP in collaboration with the 'Citizen’s Initiatives” working for preparing a billfor enactment of a new law relating to domestic violence.A new Crime Prevention and Community Safety system has been developed in closecooperation with the Police Headquarters and police officers in the field. A manual onCommunity Policing has been drafted for Bangladesh Police.Drafting of Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct for Bangladesh Police initiated topromote the rule of law as well as to set out the standards of conduct expected ofQuarterly Progress Report (January-March) 2008i