Photo: BSS

RAJSHAHI, Aug 12, 2026 (BSS) - A 'Participatory Development and Action Plan Formulation Meeting' was held on Tuesday in the hall room of the Caritas Regional Office in the city.
 
The meeting was organized by World Vision Bangladesh Rajshahi City Area Development Program (ADP).
 
Children, parents, police-administration, journalists, religious leaders, child and youth representatives and representatives of civil society participated in the meeting.

By bringing together the opinions of service recipients and service providers in one place, the existing problems and gaps in the services of communities have been identified and ways to solve them have been sought.
 
At the same time, an initiative has been taken to formulate an action plan based on citizens' opinions to make Kasiadanga Thana area a safer, more supportive and more trustworthy place for children.

Speaking as the chief guest, Deputy Commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Mir Shafin Mahmud said police are working to make communities safer and more supportive for children.

He stressed the need for greater sensitivity among police members so that children do not feel afraid when they come to a police station in times of crisis and can receive necessary assistance.

He assured that the police would work with relevant stakeholders to implement the realistic proposals raised at the meeting.
 
In his address as chair, Senior Manager of the Area Development Program Coordination Office Lotus Chisim said that ensuring child protection requires coordinated efforts from all stakeholders, as no single institution can achieve the goal alone.
 
Families, children, police, administration and civil society must work in a coordinated manner. Through the CVA activity, initiatives for realistic change are being taken by giving importance to the opinions of service recipients.
 
Officer-in-Charge of Kashiadanga Thana Farhad Ali said the police station is providing necessary support to ensure the safety and services of women and children. Police are also giving priority to tracing missing children and reuniting them with their families.

He said police members are being sensitised to ensure more humane and child-friendly services.

District Children Affairs Officer Manjurul Kadir said all stakeholders, particularly police, have a responsibility to ensure that children feel safe when they visit a police station.

He said services at the police station should be designed by taking children's needs and opinions into consideration. Ensuring child safety, he added, is not solely the responsibility of law enforcement agencies; families and people from all levels of society must also be involved.

Participants emphasised that action plans would be more effective if they were prepared based on the actual needs and problems identified by children themselves. They also called for greater involvement of the mass media in raising public awareness about child rights and protection.

The meeting also discussed the importance of psychological support for children. Participants said children who come to a police station after abuse, disappearance, family crisis or other risks need not only legal assistance but also appropriate emotional and psychological support.

Speakers stressed the urgent implementation of the prescribed standards under the Children Act 2013 to make police stations child-friendly. They said a child-friendly police station requires not only infrastructural improvements but also empathetic behaviour by police, security, prompt services, access to information and necessary psychological support.

Under the CVA initiative, the experiences of women, men, boys and girls receiving services from Kashiadanga Thana were evaluated. The findings, including service gaps, were subsequently discussed with relevant service providers and citizen representatives.

Organisers said the interface meeting is the fourth and final step of the CVA process, bringing service recipients and providers together to identify problems and determine possible solutions. An action plan is now being formulated based on participants' recommendations to create a safer and more supportive environment for children.

The programme was moderated by Ripon Halder, Program Officer of World Vision Bangladesh Rajshahi City ADP.

Senior Program Officer Nilu Begum, Program Officer Philip Arinda, Junior Program Officers Sharmin Suravi Akter and Arjun Roy, along with other officials and employees, were present at the meeting.