Bangladesh: Police Increase Community Engagement Through ICITAP Social Media Training

On February 7, ICITAP completed the final of three Social Media Trainings in Dhaka, Chattogram, and Sylhet, Bangladesh. Due to the popularity of Facebook in Bangladesh, the training course was primarily focused on how police can increase their viewership on Facebook. This includes increasing public interest using informative and timely posts that include images. Progress has been made, especially in Chattogram, where ICITAP has conducted other Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) community engagement training. Attendance at Police Community Meetings has increased in the last eight months from tens to hundreds of attendees. Police attribute the increase to ICITAP guidance on the effective use of social media, which often gains the attention of news media. The Police Community Meetings have resulted in a significant increase in crime reporting. ICITAP will continue mentoring and training the police in using enhanced communication to increase transparency and build confidence and trust in the public they serve. Recent Facebook posts by Bangladesh police. In Bangladesh, ICITAP works with the support of and in collaboration with the U.S. Department of State.