COMMUNITY SECURITY Experiences from Bangladesh

june 2015 SAFERWORLD PREVENTING VIOLENT CONFLICT. BUILDING SAFER LIVES briefing Sexual harassment or ‘eve teasing’ of girls on their way to school is a regular occurrence on streets such as this one in Satkhira. The abuse, which includes cat-calling and taking images on mobile phones, impacts on the day-to-day lives of women and girls and has resulted in some girls no longer attending school. SAFERWORLD © saferworld/tom martin PREVENTING VIOLENT CONFLICT. BUILDING SAFER LIVES

SAFERWORLD PREVENTING VIOLENT CONFLICT. BUILDING SAFER LIVES

It is now broadly recognised that in the key messages long term there can neither be security n Community Security enables various stakeholders to collaborate and address the causes, consequences without development, nor development and risks of conflict, violence and insecurity, without security. strengthening the conditions for sustainable peace. n By connecting people more constructively with This briefing explains the concept and practice of ‘Community Security’, representatives of the state, including local authorities an innovative and effective approach that builds security from the and security providers, community-based approaches bottom up by empowering communities, authorities and security to security can help improve state-society relationships providers to work together to find local solutions to the security and increase state legitimacy, responsiveness and problems they face. The briefing also sets out how this approach can be capacity. applied in Bangladesh, drawing on lessons learned and best practices n Advocacy and engagement with local, district and from Saferworld and BRAC’s mid-term Community Security programme national actors is crucial to work to scale and embed review (the mid-term review covers June 2012–June 2014 – the midway Community Security approaches into wider policies point of Saferworld and BRAC’s four-year programme). and practices. 2 | saferworld and brac briefing Community Security: Experiences from Bangladesh

Linking Community Security approaches to security and justice policies and programmes

Similar to many developing countries, the Additionally, the security situation in The security challenges outlined are security architecture in Bangladesh con- Bangladesh is becoming more precarious. not only daunting but mounting, and tinues to conform to conventional practices At the national level, political polarisation require more than just the commitment that prioritise state security through increases the threat of violence. It also and efforts of already under-resourced institution-building above all. While creates space for growing extremist state security providers. Building peace delivering some sense of security, this ideologies and the associated cycles of and preventing violence across Bangladesh approach means authorities tend to be violence that are typical of attempts to requires a participatory approach, with more reactive to security needs, rather than express or suppress those ideologies. full support from and cooperation of the being proactive and taking preventative At the local level, human security local communities, and complemented by actions. Disregard for human security problems are a real threat. Insecurities able and empowered CSOs. This process concerns and the exclusion of women and stemming from gender-based violence, must begin by rebuilding trust between other minority groups from security initia- crime, drug and alcohol abuse, gambling, authorities and communities. The rest tives are worrying trends in Bangladesh. and early marriage continue to pose of this briefing outlines how to do this Another significant trait is the entrenched significant challenges to peace and through a collaborative approach called opinion among authorities that security development. Furthermore, corruption ‘Community Security’, which brings and safety are the sole prerogative of the is pervasive, and continues to disable communities together to identify their state, and that community groups and inter- security systems by making people pressing security challenges and plan how mediaries such as civil society organisations question the sincerity of public officials to address them collectively. (CSOs) have little or no role to play. and the integrity of the state.

The Community Action Committee in Moghia Ward 1 meets at dusk. These meetings are used to discuss local safety and security concerns and decide on action plans to address these issues. © saferworld/tom martin 3 | saferworld and brac briefing Community Security: Experiences from Bangladesh

What is Community Security?

Security is a universal entitlement and a core part of human well-being. Where insecurity and injustice are prevalent, more often than not so too are the associated ills of poverty and under-development. These ills can take multiple forms, and when Saferworld has consulted people on what security means to them in different countries, the answer is always specific to each context. This necessitates approaches that are flexible enough to address the broad spectrum of potential security and justice challenges, and that put people’s genuine needs at the centre of the security A police officer addresses a community group agenda. at the opening ceremony of a new community With this in mind, for more than ten years centre in Jessore district. © saferworld/shoeb ahmed Saferworld has developed and implemented an approach called Community Defining community security Security. This approach integrates human security, development and statebuilding n Community Security is a people-centred approach to tackle interlinked peace, paradigms. It brings together repre- security and development needs. sentatives from across a community to n It aims to build positive relationships between communities, authorities and discuss their security challenges and plan institutions – providing opportunities to identify security concerns and plan responses collectively. This collaborative collective responses. approach builds the capacity and willing- n It enables communities to be their own agents of change and empowers ness of communities, local authorities communities to hold to account those who should be delivering their security. and security providers to address their own sources of insecurity and creates an n Community inclusivity and participation are core parts of the approach, so enabling environment for wider reforms. activities can be designed and implemented to reflect people’s actual needs. By bringing together a wide range of n Community Security approaches attempt to link local improvements up to sub- actors, it attempts to build trusting work- national and national levels through advocacy, and by including higher-level ing partnerships between communities actors in consultation and decision-making processes. and service providers in the pursuit of n Community Security is achieved when communities have ways to articulate their mutually beneficial security improvements. security needs, and there is the local and institutional capacity and willingness to Because they are community-defined, respond to these needs. these improvements can encompass n It is both a process – promoting a community-driven approach to understanding anything, depending on the needs and and providing security – and an end state whereby people feel protected and resources available in each context. valued as members of society. Community Security affirms the need for institutional and technical reforms, but rejects the idea that security is the This briefing presents key findings supporting inclusive, fair, responsive and sole preserve of the state. Instead, from a recent review of our Community accountable service delivery mechanisms Community Security approaches ensure Security programmes in Bangladesh. that build upon local capacities for change. that the public is directly involved – It is aimed at both policymakers and It suggests a shift away from investments having both the right and the opportunity practitioners and is intended to give a in either the state or society, and towards to articulate their security priorities and better idea of what Community Security efforts such as Community Security that be involved in implementing appropriate entails. It finds that the focus of improving can help increase interactions and trust responses. security should be redirected towards between them. 4 | saferworld and brac briefing Community Security: Experiences from Bangladesh

WORKING WITH COMMUNITIES: A PROGRAMMATIC APPROACH TO COMMUNITY SECURITY

Engaging communities, security providers 5. Evaluate, learn and plan improvements and local authorities requires a careful, 1. Preparation step-by-step approach to ensure all and conﬂict analysis stakeholders understand and buy into the process and its objectives, in order to make it effective and sustainable. Saferworld’s programmatic approach to Community Security Community Security revolves around the following five steps: Programme Cycle 4. Implement action plans 1. Preparation and conflict analysis and monitor 2. Identify and prioritise A conflict analysis is the systematic study a community’s security problems and needs of the context, causes, actors, and dynamics behind a conflict, and the links between them. It should also map and analyse existing responses to conflict and the structures, mechanisms and processes 3. Action used by conflict-affected populations. planning This information provides an overview and programming options to the supporting organisation, including step that should involve all key actors actions to improve people’s experience of whether the context is actually suitable (community members, police, and local security. An action plan needs to build in for Community Security programming or authorities) to ensure the group’s actions some flexibility to adapt to any changes not. This analysis should also ensure that are reflective of actual community to the implementation context and any work is conflict- and gender-sensitive. perspectives and needs. ensure monitoring throughout the action to keep the plan on track, accountable 2. Identify and prioritise security 3. Action planning and relevant. problems and needs Based on the community’s analysis, 5. Evaluate, learn and plan In contexts where there are no existing community members, local authorities local initiatives or those that do exist are and security/justice providers articulate improvements dysfunctional or ineffective, the creation their objectives, activities, roles and The main purposes of evaluation are to of a Community Action Committee responsibilities to address the security improve future policies, programmes (CAC) – made up of community members, concerns they have prioritised. This may and projects, and to provide a basis for and in some cases, local government take more than one meeting, or even accountability. For these purposes to authorities, security providers, civil require focus groups ahead of a larger be met, communities, policymakers society, and mandated to convene and plenary planning session. Once again, the and operational staff need to actively facilitate community security processes at participation of all actors is key to ensure monitor and evaluate what they are the local level – is the foundation of the buy-in and ownership from all sides. doing and learn from results and out- community security cycle. Through these comes to inform future engagement. representative groups, the community 4. Implement action plans and will collectively identify and address their monitor security needs. Following the establish- An action plan provides a roadmap for ment of a working group, more focused the programme and serves as a contract community-led analysis enables commu- that commits a community and their nities to identify and prioritise their own security providers to work together. security concerns and determine what The roadmap involves small steps that actions they can take. This is a crucial incrementally lead to more significant 5 | saferworld and brac briefing Community Security: Experiences from Bangladesh

Results from practicing Community Security in Bangladesh

In 2012, Saferworld and BRAC began a The results were very positive. In the first These photographs were used to four-year programme aimed at improving two years of the project, and with support stimulate discussions in the community the security conditions for reconstruction from Saferworld and BRAC, a diverse in order to identify how to improve and development in Bangladesh through range of community members in each people’s day-to-day experiences of Community Security. The programme Upazila formed CACs and youth groups security and justice. is reaching communities across 16 sites where people were able to discuss security The review found that all the com- in five districts across south-western issues and plan responses collaboratively. mittees’ plans were completed, resulting Bangladesh: Bagerhat, Faridpur, Gopalganj, The committees also led a participatory in significant changes in people’s Jessore and Satkhira. We are working both photography project, encouraging behaviour and improved experiences of with communities to identify their security people to take pictures of places and local security. The selected key findings needs, and with those who are best placed issues that were relevant to their security. are summarised in the following pages. to respond to them, including local authorities, security providers and development actors. Key security concerns Figure 1: Responses from community members when asked to state areas in which identified by communities include domestic they had experienced personal development as a result of the Community Security violence, sexual harassment of girls and programme. women (or ‘eve teasing’)1, early marriage, CAC members theft/robbery, political violence, gambling, Coordination skills and drug abuse. At the community level, Youth group/ Photography project Loving my community a widening gap in mutual understanding, participants trust, and communication between police and citizens was also perceived to under- Change of mindset mine public security. Feeling good/conﬁdent In 2014, Saferworld and BRAC facilitated an external mid-term review (MTR) of the Peaceful protesting programme in Dhaka and five Upazilas2 in the five target districts: Keshabpur Women and girls in Jessore district, Satkhira Sadar in ‘gaining a voice’ Satkhira district, Kachua in Bagerhat Women and girls district, Kotalipara in Gopalganj district, being listened to and Faridpur Sadar in Faridpur district. 106 men and 84 women took part in the Power to do good study, which was designed to: Communication n identify specific outcomes and assess the effectiveness of the programme over the first two-year phase Inﬂuencing n advise how different aspects of the Analysis programme can be improved n identify best practices behind Photography with Community Security to support a purpose broader organisational learning n provide evidence to inform wider security and justice policies in Bangladesh. 6 | saferworld and brac briefing Community Security: Experiences from Bangladesh

1. 2. 100 per cent of people on the Evidence of sustained behaviour project identified two or more changes and an increased areas of personal development willingness among community as a direct result of their members to address security involvement in the programme issues

A key part of the programme has been Not only are the CACs and their commu- willingness to tackle difficult security equipping community members with the nities analysing serious social problems, challenges. In Bangladesh, where there skills to tackle their safety and security and solving or reducing them, but every is a lack of trust in state and security pro- concerns independently, ensuring CAC visited by the MTR team had also viders, and where the public perceive the sustainability after the programme ends. completed additional activities outside law and order situation as deteriorating, Through the process of identifying and their action plans, either on their own these improved relationships are a key tackling issues, members of the CACs and initiative or at the request of a third prerequisite for local people to feel safer. youth groups have grown in confidence party such as the local government or For example, in one case CAC members and skills, including the ability to analyse local community members, including in Keshabpur Ward 7 in Jessore were problems and greater motivation to the Polli Shomaj, who see the CAC as focusing on alcohol abuse, access to identify solutions. Working together to helping to improve their safety (for more justice, and fair legal judgements in their tackle local issues has become part of information on the Polli Shomaj, please action plan, but were actively supporting community life. see the text box opposite). Increasingly, the Polli Shomaj to manage a variety of other problems, some of which were very “Before we knew about problems but communities are interacting positively sensitive. didn’t do anything. Now we can protect with security actors and local government people, we are more confident and have officials. “The action committee helps us realise mediation skills to deal with conflict in These outcomes indicate that Commu- that, whatever our background, if we work the community.” nity Security approaches were improving together, cooperate with each other and CAC member, Kotalipara, Gopalganj both people’s behaviour and their communicate with each other we can

waterlogging in satkhira

A woman stands in a waterlogged field. In Satkhira, the CACs in Labsha 8 and 9 worked with local authorities and CSOs to mobilise their communities, which saw over 1,000 volunteers from the two wards work together to dig the soil and remove sand from the mouth of the sluice gate. Had this not been done, the sluice gate could have had an impact on food production and ultimately food security in the area, potentially fuelling tension in the community. The District Commissioner donated four tonnes of rice to the volunteers.

photograph: © saferworld/milon kumar das 7 | saferworld and brac briefing Community Security: Experiences from Bangladesh

succeed. For example, there was a problem over religious festivals that caused conflicts between Hindus and Muslims. It could have resulted in trouble and we were very nervous, so we asked the action committee for help. It was a Hindu festival that involved music and celebrations all day, which could disturb Muslim prayer. People weren’t talking and there was distrust on both sides. So the action committee arranged meetings with both religious groups to discuss each group’s concerns and needs, and eventually everyone was happy. There was no violence at all.” Polli Shomaj member, Keshabpur, Jessore

In an example from Jhawdanga Ward 8, Satkhira district, the CAC action plan Members of the Polli Shomaj covered gambling, early marriage and attend their weekly meeting violence against women. However, the in rural Jessore. CAC was also working with the Polli © saferworld/tom martin Shomaj, media (TV, newspaper, radio), and wider community to reduce the Polli Shomaj trafficking of women and children. To ensure the CACs work with as wide a cross section of the community as “Trafficking of women and children has possible, the committees include members of the Polli Shomaj – rural women’s become a problem in our area. Communities groups established by BRAC’s Community Empowerment Programme. Since are becoming more and more vulnerable to 1998, BRAC has established more than 12,000 Polli Shomaj groups located at this issue in the name of getting a job. ward level in 55 districts in Bangladesh, with an average of 55 members in each For example, men will go to families and group. tell them they have a job for a young woman Polli Shomaj groups focus on addressing local social welfare issues, but prior or a girl in their household. So the family is to the Community Security programme have had little involvement in conflict happy and selects the young woman, or the and security issues. Over the past two years the Polli Shomaj have increasingly girl, and she goes with the man believing brought these sorts of incidents to the CACs’ attention. The CACs have also been she has a job. Occasionally male children able to support the Polli Shomaj in taking issues to local authorities and security are involved as well. To be blunt, most of providers. the community was really blind to this Through their engagement with the CACs, Polli Shomaj members all agreed problem and it is us and the Community that they had more confidence and power to influence local authorities, either Action Committee, supported by the Polli directly or indirectly, as they have an improved understanding of safety and Shomaj women that enabled them to see. security issues. It should also be noted that by engaging with the Polli Shomaj We used mass media to get the message the programme has had a larger reach, including vulnerable women in the across; the TV, the radio and the news- target communities. papers published stories about these sad abductions of women through fraud. Now families that are worried about promises of jobs ring the Community Action Committee to find out if the people offering the jobs are genuine.” Youth Group member, Jhawdanga, Satkhira 8 | saferworld and brac briefing Community Security: Experiences from Bangladesh

Victim or Polli Shomaj CAC Chairperson Police witness Youth Groups

Figure 2: Most common form of Third Party Reporting in programme locations.

3. Third Party Reporting had 4. increased in all the areas they Increased awareness of safety and visited security issues beyond the CACs

In many contexts, some victims and Polli Shomaj. One member said that Everyone interviewed for the MTR was witnesses of serious crimes (such as rape) she welcomed the relationship with the able to articulate their understanding of do not feel comfortable reporting the CAC, as it meant the Polli Shomaj did not safety and security as a result of working matter directly to local authorities such have to go to the thana officers (police with Saferworld and the CAC members, as the police. Instead, many are more station), whom they fear. She added “the including local government representa- comfortable reporting it to someone CAC act as a bridge for us, which is good, tives, youth groups and Polli Shomaj they are familiar with. This is known as because we are afraid to see the thana”. groups (including members outside the ‘Third Party Reporting’. The MTR team It is important to stress that the CACs). Respondents also noted changes found that the number of people going Community Security approach prioritises in people’s behaviour, as shown by the through the CACs to report crimes had building trust between communities and following two comments from BRAC staff: increased in all the areas they visited. security providers, thereby preventing an “At the beginning of the project, I knew Encouragingly, this was particularly true over-reliance on Third Party Reporting. nothing about safety and security, but for vulnerable victims such as young Nonetheless, this is a gradual process. as the process developed I knew what girls and people from lower castes. This In summary, it is important to emphasise I needed to do.” is an extremely important unintended that CACs have engendered a trusting outcome, as the CACs are now providing relationship with their communities, BRAC field officer, Jessore victims with a safe route to justice – Union Parishad3 Chairpersons and – in “Relationships within communities have illustrated in the diagram above. most of the wards – the police. However, also changed. The whole community now Examples include victims of ‘eve teasing’ all the CACs requested Saferworld and understands what safety and security reporting to youth group members, and BRAC’s support to further enhance problems exist in their community and are women suffering violence – including police-community relations, and much united in understanding them.” rape and poisoning – reporting to the more work needs be done in that area. BRAC Programme Coordinator, Dhaka

Village community police officer Anwar Hossain Khan talks with members of his community. In Kachua, Bagerhat District, there is one police officer for every 1,300 people. To bridge the gap in capacity, the local government chairman also employs four village community police officers, like Anwar, to operate in the area. Their jobs sit outside the police service. Access to police officers, and the accountability of police services, remains a primary concern for communities. © saferworld/tom martin 9 | saferworld and brac briefing Community Security: Experiences from Bangladesh

5. Increased participation and security of women

Women reported an improved sense of safety, and had more confidence A popular theatre performance in Kotalipara. As part of the Community Security and control over their own security. All programme, BRAC uses popular theatre to women CAC members reported feeling raise awareness of and generate dialogue empowered to speak more confidently about safety and security issues in the local community. © saferworld/hannah wright and publicly about safety and security concerns affecting women and girls in their community. Beyond the CACs, youth group members described how victims of ‘eve teasing’ were able to report incidents to their members, which they would not have felt able to do before the CACs were in place. In addition, 33 Polli Shomaj members who are not themselves CAC members (i.e. indirect programme beneficiaries) were interviewed during the review, and all agreed that they had more influence and power through the establishment of the CACs and the programme. i. “I can seek support when I need it and this helps me a lot because I get the support. I had no support before this, because women are not viewed that way in our community.” Female CAC member ii. “In our culture, people do not listen iv. “I know the people and they know me – “ All women CAC members to females. Now, however, they are before I did not know anyone in my area. reported feeling increasingly listening to us. I have learnt Sometimes I saw them, but I put my head that it is really important to be heard down and did not speak due to lack of empowered to speak more and for our concerns and needs be taken confidence. Now I know them all and they confidently and publicly seriously. People now value and prioritise know me too, and I communicate with our concerns. I didn’t expect this because them regularly. I have all their telephone about safety and security I didn’t even understand what security numbers and they have mine. I have concerns affecting meant prior to this programme.” attended local government meetings and Female CAC member I feel proud because I must say I have women and girls in their acquired skills which have enabled me to community.” iii. “I want to provide a personal example. communicate much better than before.” My brother arranged an early marriage Female CAC member to which I protested but he said ‘who are you to talk to me?’ I told him that I was a member of the Community Action Committee. I told him that I would contact them if he ignored me. He then decided not to go ahead with the early marriage because he knew I had the support of many influential people; he knew I had power.” Female CAC member 10 | saferworld and brac briefing Community Security: Experiences from Bangladesh

6. Improved response by local government officials in all programme locations, and by police in some wards

An important outcome of the programme is the increased level of collaboration Four members of the youth group from Moghia Ward 1 between the local government adminis- during a CAC meeting. tration (particularly with the elected © saferworld/tom martin Union Parishad Chairperson, its General Members, and in some cases the Law and Order Standing Committees4) and the CACs, which the MTR team heard from diverse respondents in every area they visited. For example, the CAC in Jhawdanga Ward 8, Satkhira district prioritised tackling early marriage in cooperation with schools, parents, local government authorities and religious leaders. Taking the initiative, the CAC worked with both families (to stop individual cases) and with local government authorities (specifically the Union Parishad Chair- person and Law and Order Committee reported having improved access and We have broken down some barriers and we members) to convince authorities to engagement with the police and said: have even presented a paper to them so at stop altering birth certificates, which least we are talking, but we would like your “they (the police) gave their telephone had previously allowed parents to marry help in arranging a briefing session during numbers to us and said they would help us their children off at a younger age. MTR which we can tell them what we do, how we at any time. Before the Community Action respondents believe this collaborative do it and explain how we can help them.” Committee had begun we did not know how approach has yielded greater success CAC member, Satkhira to approach the police because we were when compared with similar initiatives, reluctant and worried. Now we know how which only focused on raising awareness. Encouragingly, these successes illustrate to approach them and we are no longer sustainable changes. Evidence suggests “Early marriage has dramatically worried.” that people are now behaving differently. decreased in our community.” CAC member, Jessore For example, people have begun to Youth Group member, Jhawdanga, Satkhira internalise new ways of thinking about In other areas (including Satkhira district), security, including recognising their own where some respondents described the It is also worth noting that the Union roles, rights and responsibilities and relationship as more challenging, there Parishad Chairpersons interviewed in demonstrating willingness to interact with was no reluctance to working more Bagerhat, Faridpur, Jessore and Satkhira security actors more openly. Communities closely with them. Indeed, the increased districts confirmed that the security situ- attested to having increased confidence success with local government actors had ation in the wards where the programme to demand security services from the created a demand for better relationships was being implemented had improved, police and local authorities, as well as with the police and a desire to enhance and was better when compared to wards holding those actors accountable for and formalise relationships with all safety where the programme is not operating. their actions. and security actors. Many were already The Union Parishad Chairpersons would For example, by using ongoing monitor- taking steps to improve police-community like to see the committees replicated in ing forms, the CACs and their communities relations and others requested support other wards, but admitted that central demonstrated that they were proactively from BRAC and Saferworld to achieve government would have to support the analysing and solving serious social those relationships: administration by providing the necessary problems. This has included CACs inter- resources. “We would like your help in improving our vening to help resolve land disputes, The quality of police-community rela- relationship with the police. It is better prevent early marriages, and allocate tionships were more mixed. For example, than it was but it is not as effective as our public spending to where it was most in Jessore and Bagerhat districts, CACs relationship with the local government. needed. 11 | saferworld and brac briefing Community Security: Experiences from Bangladesh

The way forward for policymakers in Bangladesh

The review found Saferworld’s Community policing, and with a dual emphasis on Security programme in Bangladesh senior management and thana-level demonstrated successful outcomes that officers. The MTR learnt from several exceeded expectations. respondents that at a policy level, actors are unaware of what communities However it is clear that outside the are concerned about and why their programme political and religious divides concerns are so important. This needs in Bangladesh are widening, posing to improve. significant security challenges. Therefore, this platform should look for an oppor- n Depoliticised central government tunity to scale up and feed into wider investment to help local authorities reform processes at the district and support community security processes. national levels, which could serve to As part of this, open, sustainable ABOUT saferworld mitigate these growing security and frank communication channels challenges more meaningfully. that link local actors up to the Union and brac Parishad, Upazila, district, division Saferworld and BRAC have been Key recommendations are therefore as and then national structures in a more working together since 2008 to test, follows: coherent fashion. pilot and implement Community n Support communities, government Security programming in Bangladesh. n Make both Community Policing structures and police to work The two organisations are committed Forums’ Action Plans and Law and collaboratively on any security issue that to a long-term partnership, using Order Committee Plans transparent might improve state-society relations. Saferworld’s technical expertise on and available to the public. In the longer term, this should allow Community Security and BRAC’s for joint problem solving that increas- n Conflict analyses should note the national and local networks to ingly addresses more sensitive issues, potential for youth to drive violence. introduce and mainstream a such as challenging gender norms or They are frequently at the forefront Community Security approach across other exploitative power structures. of inter-ethnic, political, or other inter- their community empowerment Saferworld knows from experience group violence, often because they are programming. that at the start of Community Security more susceptible to radical or violent Our current Community Security programmes, communities and police ideologies. Programmes have been programme is generously supported are usually not willing to work on more successful in involving youth within by the Netherlands Ministry of sensitive issues, but as their trust in their Community Security agendas; Foreign Affairs. the process grows, they become more however, the review raises questions prepared to tackle them. about how programmes involve those photograph above: Saferworld and BRAC staff most vulnerable to manipulation and/ talk through Community Security at the first n Ensuring the sustainability and wider CAC meeting in Kotalipara Upazila. or violence, and whether they are able impact of Community Security requires © saferworld/tom martin to include those who are not already national-level advocacy to promote likely to be engaged in projects lessons learned to other actors and, in promoting peace. an ideal scenario, encourage police and government structures to institutionally n Maintain the momentum on addressing support and implement people-centred violence against women and girls by approaches to addressing security ensuring it is identified as a key priority issues. for the remainder of the programme and given sufficient resources. n Ensure that central government supports community security processes as part of a much wider and ongoing police reform programme, with particular focus on gender-sensitive 12 | saferworld and brac briefing Community Security: Experiences from Bangladesh COMMUNITY SECURITY RESOURCES

All our resources are available to download from our website. We can provide hard copies of specific publications on request. Read more at: www.saferworld.org.uk

n Community Security handbook n Community-based approaches to safety n Reflections on the Northern Ireland n Mwananchi Handbook for Community n EU external action: Towards conflict and security: Lessons from Kosovo, experience: The lessons underpinning Policing (Kenya) sensitivity Nepal and Bangladesh the normalisation of policing and n video Community security: putting n Operational handbook on policy– security in a divided society people at the heart of security and justice community co-operation n The Population and the Police: n video Community security in the (Bosnia and Herzegovinga) Partnership through Dialogue Ferghana Valley n Community security: Rethinking policy n Creating safer communities: n video Community security in Shida Kartli and strategy for modern security Lessons from South Eastern Europe n Security for local communities: challenges n Implementing community-based Can the achievements of the past few n Creating safer communities in policing in Kenya years be preserved? Bangladesh n Empowering conflict-affected communities to respond to security problems in South Ossetia

notes 1 Gender-based violence, eve-teasing, upazilas. Upazila nirbahi officer/Upazila government units in Bangladesh. Each for maintenance of law and order, dowry-related violence, rape, acid executive officer is an non-elected Union is made up of nine wards. A UP adoption and implementation of throwing, fatwas and sexual abuse are administrative post in an Upazila. council consists of a chairperson and development schemes, establishment prominent forms of violence against Each upazila parishad (or council) has twelve members including one member and administration functions, and women and girls in Bangladesh. a chairperson and a vice chairperson. from each ward, with three places providing public welfare services. Women are vulnerable to security They are elected through direct popular exclusively reserved for women. UPs are 4 There are 13 Standing Committees threats and unable to claim their rights. election. Efforts have been made formed under the Local Government formed by the Union Parishad for 2 Upazilas, formerly called thana, are to ensure at least one-third female (Union Parishads) Act, 2009. The discharging its functions, developing the second lowest tier of regional representation in all elected posts of boundary of each Union is demarcated plans and implementing them at ward administration in Bangladesh. They the local government. by the deputy commissioner of the level. This includes a Law and Order function as sub-units of districts. 3 Union Parishads (UP) are the smallest district. There are total 4,550 Unions in Committee, responsible for overseeing Bangladesh, at present, has 583 rural administrative and local Bangladesh. By law, UPs are responsible law and order in the wards.

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