DHAKA: Victim Support Centers (VSCs) will soon be set up in divisional headquarters across Bangladesh. These centers are already running in five districts and, by all accounts, doing a good job.
 
VSC is a new form of policing that was introduced as a part of Police Reform Program (PRP) to extend support to victims, including those subjected to domestic violence, abuse and rape.
 
Additional deputy police commissioner Fatiha Yasmin recently told banglanews that besides Dhaka city, the activities of victim support centers will extend to divisional headquarters.
 
She told this correspondent that centers of this kind have already been set up at Sona Danga Thana compound in Khulna, Double Mooring Model thana compound in Chittagong, Kotwali Thana compound in Sylhet, Shah Makhdun Thana compound in Rajshahi and in Rangmati.
 
Another center is being built in Kotwali Thana compound in Barisal.
 
She said that the administration is keen to extend the service to destitute women and children across the country.
 
According to available data, a total of 2,228 women and children availed the services of these centers from 2009 to November in 2013.
 
Among them, 1055 women and children who had lost their families, received support from the centers.
 
Many of them had returned to their families and the rest had go to governmental and non-governmental rehabilitation centers.
 
Through counseling, problems of many women had been solved facting their return to their families.
 
Fatiha said that they aim to provide security to women and children and to introduce children-friendly policing to protect them from violence.
 
She added that non-government organizations called Society of Deaf and Sign Language (SDSL) and Families for Children along with ‘Chhotomani Nibas’ under social welfare ministry provide support for long term rehabilitations of physically challenged children.
 
The incident of a tortured child Aduri, who was a domestic help, created strong reaction in mass and social media. Quick Response Team of Women Support and Investigation Division collected the child from a hospital ward.
 
The team provided her proper support. A case was filed against house owner Naorin Jahan Nadi who tortured the girl. She was arrested and the case was later transferred to the Women Support and Investigation Division.
 
High officials of the Division carefully investigated the case on a priority basis.
 
The prime objective of Quick Response Team is to provide support and ensure security of women and children within the shortest possible time.
 
The centers extend support to women and children subjected to different types of torture and harassment at home and outside.
 
With the assistance of UNDP, the Victim Support Center under Bangladesh Police started its activities on February 17 in 2009.
 
In 2010, Women Support and Investigation Division was formed to expand the centers’ activities.
 
The Division provides residential support to victims along with food and security. The Division also works hard to reunite victims with guardians or to rehabilitate them if their guardians can`t be traced.

BDST: 2020 HRS, FEB 06, 2014