As crime rates surge across Bangladesh following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina regime, communities find themselves at the forefront of safeguarding their neighbourhoods amidst the increasing strain on law enforcement. In response to this growing need for localised and coordinated action, Fahim Murshed, a tech entrepreneur, has introduced Protirodh.net, a community-based platform designed to mobilise citizen volunteers rapidly and efficiently in the fight against crime.

A community-centric approach

With law enforcement agencies stretched thin, Protirodh.net addresses the critical need for a unified system where community efforts can be coordinated in real-time. The platform's mission is to streamline the process of incident reporting and response, ensuring that help is available where it's needed most, as swiftly as possible.

The initiative recognises a common challenge faced by disparate volunteer groups: the difficulty in synchronising efforts, especially in moments of crisis. By bringing all these groups onto a single platform, Protirodh.net enables a more cohesive and effective response to incidents, enhancing community safety.

Fahim Murshed, the creator of Protirodh.net, explained the motivation behind the platform: "I created this because I noticed a gap between the new generation of volunteers and the general public who need help. The ultimate purpose was to ease communication between these two groups and to map out all the incidents around Bangladesh to quickly identify affected neighbourhoods."

Features built for speed and accuracy

Protirodh.net is designed with user-friendliness and efficiency in mind. One of its key features is the ease with which users can report incidents. With just a few clicks, individuals can alert both volunteers and local security forces to ongoing or potential threats. The platform's mapping and location tracking feature automatically pinpoints the user's location, ensuring that responses are not only swift but also accurate.

Moreover, the platform provides a live, real-time monitoring system that displays all reported incidents on an interactive map. This feature allows users to stay informed about what is happening in their vicinity, fostering a heightened sense of awareness and enabling them to take necessary precautions.

Rapid development and future prospects

Developed within a short time through a hyper hackathon, Protirodh.net is a testament to the urgency of the situation in Bangladesh and the need for immediate action. While the platform is already operational, Fahim Murshed and his team continue to work on adding new features, aiming to enhance the platform's capabilities further.

"Our main focus right now is to contribute to maintaining law and order in our neighbourhoods until the law enforcement agencies are fully operational. We really hope that will be sooner rather than later. After that, we're still figuring out how we can take this platform to the next phase, but we certainly want to keep it running as a community service solution," Murshed added.

The success of Protirodh.net will largely depend on its adoption by the broader community. As more citizens join the platform, its effectiveness in deterring crime and safeguarding communities is expected to grow.