National Desk :
Collaborative efforts among communities and law enforcing agencies have become crucial to ensure crime-free atmosphere everywhere in the society for its overall development.
Wide-ranging development of proactive community policing can be the vital means of combating the existing social crimes besides countering extremism, reports BSS.
Police officials and development activists came up with the observations while addressing a panel discussion titled “Role of Police to prevent Violence Extremism” at Godagari Upazila Parishad conference hall in Rajshahi district on Tuesday.
The Asia Foundation (TAF) and Manob Kolyan Parishad (MKP) jointly organized the discussion under the ‘Police Engagement Approach for Countering Extremism – PEACE’ project.
More than 100 people comprising police personnel, students, youth leaders, teachers, leaders of influence, housewives and members of the civil society and community policing forum joined the meeting.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Masud Hossain, Additional SP Ifte Khayer Alam, Senior ASP Abdur Razzaque Khan, Assistant ASPs Rubel Ahmed and Suraiya Urmi and Officer-in-Charge of Godagari Police Station Khalilur Rahman Patwary addressed the meeting as resource persons.
PEACE Project’s Chief of Party Sadat Sadruddin Shibly moderated the discussion, while MKP Senior Programme Officer Joynal Abedeen and Programme Officer Safiul Awyal gave an illustration of the project along with its aims, objectives and implementation process.
In his remarks, SP Masud Hossain said united efforts of police and people can curb anti-social activities everywhere in the society.
He puts emphasis on breaking down long standing barriers of mistrust between police and people and explores opportunities of community policing for ensuring citizens’ safety through local initiatives.
Masud Hossain said the community based policing had been introduced in the district with a noble view, but the community people should take the responsibility of making it effective.
Sadat Shibly told the meeting that the PEACE Project is intended to empower law enforcement agencies to carry out counter terrorism efforts that effectively engage citizens in awareness raising, information sharing and prevention initiatives.
