Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner SM Sazzat Ali on Saturday said any type of violence against women submitted to the HELP App will be considered as a first information report (FIR).

"If any incident of violence against women is recorded in the HELP App, it will be immediately treated as an FIR," he said while speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the HELP (Harassment Elimination Literacy Program) app, organised by the Broadcast Journalists Centre at The Daily Star Bhaban in Dhaka.

The DMP Commissioner also said any form of violence against women and children is deeply distressing. “In many cases, victims of such incidents hesitate to report them to law enforcement agencies, and their guardians often keep the incidents hidden for various reasons,” he said.

Sazzat Ali mentioned that domestic workers are among the most abused section in society, sometimes even facing sexual harassment. “As responsible citizens, it is our duty to ensure a safe and supportive environment for domestic workers,” he added.

HELP is a mobile application project designed to enable women to seek immediate assistance, access emergency services, and report incidents if they become victims of violence on public transport in Dhaka city.

Initially, this service will be launched as a pilot project along the Basila-Sayedabad route, with financial support from the European Union.

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Women affected by violence will be able to use the service by scanning QR codes installed on buses traveling from the Mohammadpur bus stand to Sayedabad, with assistance from volunteers stationed along the route.

Dr. Fauzia Moslem, President of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, was a special guest at the event, which was chaired by Rezwanul Haque, president of the Broadcast Journalist Center.