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DHAKA: Bangladesh Police is stepping up training on the use of force, human rights, professional ethics and integrity to promote more accountable, service-oriented policing and reduce the risk of excessive or disproportionate force.
The initiative comes amid longstanding human rights concerns over the use of force by law enforcement agencies, particularly during political protests and public movements.
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, 30 in-service training centres were targeted to conduct five-day programmes for 900 police personnel to strengthen their understanding of minimum-force principles in line with United Nations standards.
So far, 818 personnel have completed the training, representing 90.89 per cent of the target, the ministry said.
“The training focuses on principles governing the use of force in day-to-day policing and is intended to help officers understand when and how force should be used while carrying out their duties,” Additional Inspector General of Police Gazi Jashim Uddin told BSS.
The training aims to strengthen officers’ ability to make lawful, proportionate and professional decisions during routine policing and potentially high-risk situations.
The emphasis on minimum force reflects a broader effort to ensure that police operations follow the principles of necessity, proportionality, accountability and respect for human rights.
Despite progress, shortages of manpower and inadequate funding have emerged as major obstacles to completing the programme within the planned timeframe.
Police officials have recommended increasing staffing and allocating additional funds to sustain and expand the initiative. They said adequate resources would be necessary to reach more personnel and ensure regular training rather than limiting it to periodic sessions.
Officials believe that strengthening institutional capacity, expanding access to training and ensuring sufficient funding could help embed the principles taught during the courses in everyday police work.
A separate training programme focuses on human rights, professional ethics and integrity. So far, 804 police personnel have received training under the initiative, reflecting a parallel effort to strengthen professional standards within the force.
The broader training agenda seeks to promote policing as a public service requiring professionalism, restraint, impartiality and respect for citizens’ rights and dignity.
Such training is particularly important when officers must balance public safety and law enforcement responsibilities with individual rights while making decisions under pressure.
According to the implementation plan, two additional five-day training batches were scheduled for 2026, with 1,240 participants in each. The planned sessions involve personnel from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, the Police Training Academy and 30 in-service training centres.
The expansion is intended to extend the programme beyond its initial targets and provide broader coverage among police personnel.
Officials have stressed that regular refresher courses will be important to ensure that the principles of lawful and proportionate use of force remain part of officers’ professional practice.
The training drive is taking place alongside other police reform and capacity-building initiatives designed to make law enforcement more responsive to citizens, particularly vulnerable groups.
These include specialised training for personnel working at service desks for women, children and older people. The initiatives