Bangladesh
What are the challenges in Bangladesh?
Bangladesh experiences high levels of insecurity which is undermining its development.
Although not a country in conflict, the possession and use of small arms and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are commonplace and are contributing to a culture of fear and anxiety in people's everyday lives.
These weapons are now the preferred tools for protection, extortion and intimidation and are having a negative impact on attempts to reduce poverty in the country.
What we do in Bangladesh
We work with the Government and local partners to improve arms control and community insecurity.
With our partners, including the National Forum Against Small Arms, Bangladesh Rural Advance Committee and the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies, we have been working for peace and security in Bangladesh by:
- researching community safety and security concerns to raise awareness of the nature and extent of insecurity and armed violence
- carrying out projects to reduce insecurity
- building the capacity of civil society by providing training so that they can address arms and security issues
Read a case study about community consultations on small arms in Bangladesh
Read our report which summarises the findings of household surveys, focus group discussions, a media survey, key informant interviews and desk research on human security in Bangladesh undertaken in late 2007.
Download 'Human security in Bangladesh'
Reports and briefings
Saferworld submission to DFID consultation on Bangladesh Country Assistance Plan , October 2008
Bangladesh Country Assistance Plan: linking security, armed violence and development, May 2007
Implementation of the UN Programme of Action in South Asia, June 2006
News and activities
Climate Change and security in Bangladesh, Saferworld and partner host meting in Dhaka
In May, we met with our partners to review progress on the community safety pilot sites. Both sites – in Kishoregonj and Kamrangir Char – have been successfully addressing the safety and security issues identified by the local communities. We have been working with our partners to collectively design a three-year community safety programme that builds on the existing project, which have been visited by the UK Government and the British High Commission in Dhaka.
In June with the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies, we organised a roundtable on the impact of climate change on migration and security. The meeting was attended by Government representatives, several local and international non-governmental organisations, the United Nations Development Programme, the World Bank, the International Organisation for Migration, and academics from the University of Dhaka. This event provided an initial platform to bring together experts, decision makers and activists on climate change and security in Bangladesh that Saferworld hopes will develop further in the future.
Download Saferworld's full activity report for May - June 2008
Find out more
Find out more about our work on:
Conflict-sensitive development
Security and justice sector development
Find out how you can support us
