DHAKA: As part of the events commemorating the international day of non-violence, UNDP convened a stakeholder forum to discuss the early findings of research commissioned on the impact of political violence.

A wide range of national and international representatives attended the event, including the Prime Minister’s advisor HT Imam, underscoring the importance placed on combating the causes of political violence witnessed in Bangladesh and its impact on society and the economy.

Initial key results from the study that is being conducted by Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman of the Power and Participation Research Centre, and commissioned under the UNDP ARENA project were presented during the event, which was held under Chatham House rules.

A key aim of the ARENA (Areas for Research, Engagement and National Agenda) project is to encourage greater use of evidence based research to inform policy decisions and engage a wider community in developing public interest driven solutions.

The UNDP country director for Bangladesh, Pauline Tamesis, stressed during the meeting, “We are hoping the research Dr Zillur is leading will help to empirically demonstrate, the cost of political violence, in both economic and sociological terms, and provide a compelling case that violence affects all of society and the economy in profound ways beyond a violent incident”.

“It will be important to identify this impact, but also to look beyond at the root causes of violence and consequences in order to arrive at long lasting solutions.”

The UN and its partner agencies reiterate their long-standing commitment to support the Government of Bangladesh in strengthening democratic governance and sustainable development of the country.

BDST: 2112 HRS, OCT 04, 2015
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