UNDP joins hands with Bangladesh police to uphold human rights while countering violent extremism

October 10, 2021

The Human Rights Programme (HRP) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is collaborating with the Police Staff College (PSC) to ensure the upholding of human rights while countering violent terrorism.  

Supported by the Swedish and Swiss governments, HRP has been working to strengthen the capacity of human rights and justice institutions, including Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA) to serve better and protect citizen rights, particularly of those who are left behind.

Under the collaboration, HRP and PSC will research the Human Rights standards in police operations, build the capacity of police personnel and conduct experience and best practices sharing activities. A series of workshops are organized on various issues in collaboration with the PSC under the partnership.  

"We will continue to work with Law Enforcement Agencies to uphold human rights," National Human Rights Commission Chairman Nasima Begum ndc said at a seminar organized under the initiative on 'The Rise of Populism, Fundamentalism & Extremisms and Protecting Human Rights: New Challenges of Bangladesh Police'. Professor Hafizur Rahman Karzon of Dhaka University's Department of Law presented the keynote paper in the seminar. He pointed out that law enforcers were largely effective in dealing with the waves of terrorist attacks during the two phases of violent religious militancy in the country from 1999-2005 and 2012-2016. He also shed light on human rights issues and discussed the future implications of the actions of the LEAs.

Robert Stoelman, Project Manager of UNDP's Partnership for a Tolerant, Inclusive Bangladesh (PTIB), who are also collaborating in this partnership, pointed out that the UN Human Rights Council has a resolution on "Human rights and preventing and countering violent extremism". He urged LEAs to "protect the rights of those targeted by propaganda and violent attacks, the minorities and people with different identities."