1. What are the objectives of PRP?
2. What are problems to be addressed in this programme?
3. What are the key components identified in this programme?
4. What activities are presently going on in this programme?
5. What is the concept of Model Thana?
6. How many Model Thanas are proposed and what are they?

What are the objectives of PRP?

The objectives of PRP is to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the Bangladesh Police by supporting key areas of access to justice; including crime prevention, investigations, police operations and prosecutions; human resource management and training; and future directions, strategic capacity and oversight.

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What are the problems to be addressed in this programme?

There are many problems to be addressed in the reform and renewal of the Bangladesh Police through PRP. These include:

• Shortfalls in supervisory and managerial competence;

• Police are under-resourced and under-trained;

• Lack of specialized technical capacity to deal with emerging crimes;

• Lack of confidence in the police expressed by many members of the community, civil society and business;

• Lack of sensitivity by the police on the plight of victims of crime, particularly women, young people, minorities, the landless poor, street people and other vulnerable groups;

• The management and effective operations of the police is adversely impacted by external influences with great regularity;

• The low number of women police and their low representation in decision making positions;

• The police having a propensity to focus on protocol, ceremonial and static security tasks at the expense of core duties;

• The machinery of policing has not evolved over time and does not meet the needs of present-day Bangladesh;

• Inefficiency use of police resources and lack of competency by officers performing many critical functions without adequate (or any) training;

• The existence of opportunistic and institutional corruption in a range of shapes and forms;

• Generally low motivation and morale linked to low pay, poor working conditions and limited promotion prospects, especially at the lower levels;

• Inadequate overall strategic planning, including human resource and career development, transparency and accountability of function and sustainability of operations; and

• Widespread abuse of authority, whilst accountability and transparency are lacking.

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What are the key components identified in this programme?

The following are the key components identified in this programme:

• Crime Prevention
• Investigations, Operations and Prosecutions
• Human Resource Management and Training
• Strategy and Oversight
• Programme Management
• Trafficking in Human Beings

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What activities are presently going on in this programme?

A series of activities is going on in this programme. The main activities have been depicted below:

0  Training the police personnel

Training the police personnel in in-country and abroad have been going on under the project. The training programme that have been carried out within the country are as follows:

• Training on programme management

• Training on Investigation Practices

• Training on Human Rights

• Training on Strategic Planning

• Crime scene Management Training

• Crime scene Management Training

• Basic Computer Training

• Training on “Chemical Development of Latent Fingerprints”

• Train The Trainer (TTT) Programme

• Pilot ICT training course

• Gender training for police personnel of Uttara and Dhanmondi MTs

• Human Rights training for the RAB officers

The training programme/study tour that have been carried out abroad are as follows:

• Roundtable conference on sharing experience on Police Reform in South Asia held in New Delhi, India (23-24 March 2007)

• Study visit to Royal Police, Victim Support Center and NGOs working for victim support, Thailand & Nepal (09-13 June 2007)

• Executive Leadership Programme in Australia (15-22 June 2007)

• Training on Making Governance Gender Responsive (MGGR) held in Manila, Phillipines (24-30 June 2007)

• Training on Crime Intelligence Analysis held in Cambridge, United Kingdom (18-30 June 2007)

• Study visit to Western Australia Police Operations Center (13-18 July 2007)

• International Commanders Programme (ICP) course held in Bramshill, England (4 June - 10 August 2007)

• On the Edge: Transgression and the dangerous other held in New York, USA (9-10 August 2007)

• 19^th Annual Crimes Against Children Conference held in Dallas, Texas (13-16 August 2007)

• International Terrorism and Organized Crime Conference 2007 held in Anaheim, California (27-31 August 2007)

• The 5^th Conference on Women Leading Change in Policing held in Melbourne, Australia (25-27 August 2007)

• Executive Leadership Programme held in Sydney, Australia (6-30 September 2007)

0  Workshop/seminar/conference

Following is the list of workshops/seminars/conferences held.

• Workshop on responsibilities and facilities of Model Thanas held at Rajarbag Police line, Dhaka ( 03 October 2005)

• Project Inception/Consultative workshop held at Hotel Sheraton, Dhaka ( 23 February 2006)

• Workshop on Model Thana held at BIAM, Dhaka

• Consultative Workshop on Model Thana held at Bhaluka MT, Mymensingh (22 June 2006)

• Consultative Workshop on Model Thana held at Patenga, CPM (24 June 2006)

• Consultative Workshop on Model Thana held at Panchlaish, CPM (25 June 2006)

• Consultative Workshop on Model Thana held at Narayaganj Sadar Thana (19 July 2006)

• Consultative Workshop on Model Thana held at Kotwaly Thana, Jessore (22 August 2006)

• Consultative Workshop on Model Thana held at Feni Sadar Thana (27 August 2006)

• Consultative Workshop on Model Thana held at Chandpur Sadar Thana (2 September 2006)

• Consultative Workshop on Model Thana held at Narsingdi Sadar Thana (5 September 2006)

• Workshop on National Action Plan for Juvenile Justice (Roundtable) held at BCDM, Gazipur (2-5 April 2007)

• Workshop on Pro-woman Policing held at BRA Inn, Dhaka (18 April 2007)

• Workshop on Victim Support Issues held at BRA Inn, Dhaka (26 April 2007)

• Follow-up workshop on Pro-woman Policing held at PRP Conference Room (5 June 2007)

• Workshop on National Action Plan for Juvenile Justice (Roundtable) held at Cox's Bazar (23-25 June 2007)

• Consultative workshop on Community Policing held at Jessore (25-28 June 2007)

• Heads of Training (HoT) conference, Bangladesh Police held at BCDM, Gazipur (12-13 July 2007)

• THB workshop to identify an appropriate investigation model within BP held at BRAC Inn, Dhaka

• Consultative workshop on Community Policing held at Mymensingh (1-2 August 2007)

• Workshop on victim support service held at Hotel Sheraton (9 August 2007)

• Consultative workshop on Community Policing held at Chittagong (18 September 2007)

0  Refurbishment of model thana

11 model thanas have been refurbished in well-designed modern buildings comprising adequate number of rooms and space for the officers and visitors and storing of official documents. Modern intercom systems has been installed in each model thana for better communication within the thana and with other people they are dealing with. Local area network catering three desktop computers, one laser printer, one fax machine, one photocopier has also been installed in each model thana. Six walkie-talkies, six motor cycles and one pick-up have been provide to each model thana.

Another six brand new model thanas will be constructed covering modern facilities very soon. The location of this six proposed model thanas is as follows:

• Kotiadi Thana, Kishoregonaj

• Gangachara Thana, Rangpur

• Bahuball Thana, Habiganj

• Sonagachi Thana, Feni

• Damurhuda Thana, Chuadanga

• Hathazari Thana, Chittagong

At present planning and architectural design and drawing of this six new proposed model thanas is going on.

0  Modernization of Police Training Centres/Schools

All police training centres and schools have been provided with desktop & laptop computers, multimedia projectors, photocopiers, digital camera, video camera, reference books etc. This will assist the training centres and schools to provide state-of-the-art training with the police personnel.

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What is the concept of model thana?

For decades now, Bangladesh has been in frantic need of police stations that allow the police to get rid of their colonial hangover and practice people-friendly policing.  To achieve this, Model Thanas have been established in selected metropolitan and rural locations.

Model Thanas housed in well-designed modern buildings have replaced the old-fashioned image of a dingy, unventilated, dilapidated and unhygienic police station. There is furniture for visitors to sit on as they wait to be attended to (unlike in the past when visitors had to stand around waiting for their turn to talk to the duty officer!). Conventional Police stations are usually so short of space that they hardly have any place to store property seized during investigation. At Model Thanas, there are separate rooms for storage and for documentation; hence, retrieval of property and documents is only a matter of minutes. Another notable feature is that each of the policemen attached to the station has an assigned desk. The impact that such a thoughtful arrangement could have on the self-esteem of every constable can hardly be measured.

But Model Thanas are more than just new furniture, computers and flowers on the desk. Model Thanas aim to integrate and showcase the best practices in policing by fostering an environment that facilitates prevention of crime, provides equitable access to justice and engages the police and public in a meaningful partnership to effectively address community concerns and improve the quality of life of citizens.

The Model Thana embraces the principles of “pro-people, service-oriented policing.” This is both a philosophy (a way of thinking) and an organizational strategy (a way to carry out the philosophy). The philosophy emphasizes both reforming the police and refurbishing their public image. Going beyond a narrow focus on crime, a partnership between the police and the people they serve is at the heart of this philosophy.

Visitors to the Model Thanas can expect to meet police personnel who are professional, courteous and efficient. Personnel are most cooperative: they listen with patience to the complainant and provide helpful responses to multifarious queries. This scenario is very different from the recent past when victims were often sent back by policemen stating that the scene of crime was not under their jurisdiction.  A reorientation of attitudes towards people friendly service delivery is clearly visible. 

The usual armed sentry just outside a police station, who puts off the casual visitor, is missing. This is obviously with a view to lending a friendly ambience to the place. This is a revolution in itself. At the reception desk, a duty officer is assigned to receive complaints. Immediately after the reception there is a desk where a policewoman receives complaints on atrocities against women. This is again an innovation that should be received well in a country where ill treatment of women is shamefully rampant even in urban centers.

A range of police services to citizens are provided in a congenial atmosphere at the Model Thana. In addition to dealing with common crimes, they also act as centers for community-oriented schemes for combating domestic violence, helping the aged and providing legal aid. Also taken up are drug de-addiction campaigns and counseling for women. The Model Thana also acts as community service-cum-information centers to help with verification for the issue of passports, to provide "no objection certificates" for arms licenses, grant permission for religious and political processions and to deal with requests for security arrangements.

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How many Model Thanas are proposed and what are they?

Right now there are 11 Model Thanas. They are as follows:

• Dhanmondi Thana, DMP, Dhaka
• Uttara Thana, DMP, Dhaka
• Narayanganj Sadar Thana, Narayanganj
• Narsingdi Sadar Thana, Narsingdi
• Bhaluka Thana, Mymensingh
• Panchlaish Thana, CMP, Chittagong
• Patenga Thana, CMP, Chittagong
• Feni Sadar Thana, Feni
• Comilla Sadar Thana, Comilla
• Chandpur Sadar Thana, Chandpur
• Kotwali Thana, Jessore

Another six brand new model thanas are being constructed covering modern facilities. The location of this six model thanas is as follows:

• Kotiadi Thana, Kishoregonaj

• Gangachara Thana, Rangpur

• Bahuball Thana, Habiganj

• Sonagachi Thana, Feni

• Damurhuda Thana, Chuadanga

• Hathazari Thana, Chittagong

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