Bangladesh: Strengthening accountable and rights-based policing for a peaceful electoral process

As Bangladesh prepares for its General Election scheduled for early February 2026, the country is navigating a critical phase of political transition. The role of law enforcement during such periods goes beyond maintaining public law and order to also safeguard democratic space, enable peaceful political participation, and ensure elections are conducted in an environment free from fear, coercion, or violence.

Supported by UNDP, UNODC, in partnership with the Ministry of Home Affairs and Bangladesh Police Headquarters, has initiated a nationwide capacity-building programme beginning in the last quarter of 2025 and continuing into early 2026. The initiative is aimed at enhancing the institutional preparedness of Bangladesh Police by strengthening the leadership and operational capacity of command-level officers.

Over 610 police officers across the country will be trained through operational modalities tailored to election-related policing. The programme places particular emphasis on Superintendents of Police and Officers-in-Charge, whose leadership roles are critical in operational planning, inter-agency coordination, and oversight at national, divisional, district, and local levels.

Ahead of the rollout of field-level trainings, a high-level national dialogue brought together 120 participants, including senior policy-makers, law enforcement leadership, UN agencies, and development partners. The dialogue provided a platform to share national and international best practices and generate actionable recommendations to take the initiative forward.

The dialogue was attended by Mr. Khuda Baksh Chowdhury, Honourable Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser, Ministry of Home Affairs, Mr. Baharul Alam, Honourable Inspector General of Police, Bangladesh Police, Mr. Kristian Hölge, Representative of UNODC Regional Office for South Asia; Mr. Stefan Liller, Resident Representative of UNDP Bangladesh; and Mr. M. Jashim Uddin Khan, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs. Discussions focused on strengthening coordination among stakeholders, facilitating peaceful assemblies, preventing unlawful use of force, and reinforcing accountability during election-related operations.

Building on this, initial training sessions held in Dhaka and Rajshahi brought together 60 senior officers from police ranges and metropolitan units across Dhaka, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Khulna. Participants engaged in structured discussions on command responsibility, crowd management, accountability mechanisms, and inclusive policing approaches during electoral periods. The exchange of operational experiences allowed officers to reflect on challenges faced during past elections and identify practical measures to strengthen preparedness.

For participating officials, the trainings provided clarity on leadership expectations during elections and reinforced the importance of proportionality, restraint, and transparency in policing. Officers noted that scenario-based discussions and peer learning helped sharpen decision-making and reinforced confidence in managing complex electoral environments.

Recent dialogues with key stakeholders in the country have underscored the importance of strengthening police professionalism, accountability, and operational readiness ahead of the polls. Through this initiative, UNODC is supporting Bangladesh Police to foster an accountable and inclusive policing environment, and enabling law enforcement officials to be well-equipped to manage assemblies, prevent excessive or unlawful use of force, and uphold human rights standards during election-related operations.