2011

Human Rights in
Bangladesh
“Obstacles & Recommendation”
.

Foysal Ahmad
United International University
4/24/2011
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Executive Summary

Bangladesh is a independence country since 1971. Before establishing the power of

human rights, freedom or independent is necessary. But some time we can’t do this.
Like political & extrajudicial killings. In this case human rights is directly faced a
question man to man. The government tolerance towards human rights abuses is not
a new phenomenon. Now at time RAB is a very strict security force in Bangladesh.
But it’s sorry to say that some time they torture the public without legal evidence. It
may cause of death or cause of great injured. Every person has a religion. As a man
of humanity we have no right to force other to take a particular religion. But we make
discrimination in this religion. Child labour is a very bad concept in human rights. In
our country a lot of children are involved in child labour. The main cause for that their
illiteracy, uneducated of parents background and poverty. To solution this problem
the whole world works together. They provide some rules and regulation to protect it.
And we hope one day we will be successful. Women torture in Bangladesh is a very
common history, but why? The woman has a great contribution to develop in
economics condition in our country. But we can’t give them social security. They are
tortured by the society and by her husband. They are discriminated by religion.
Mental torture is same as like as physical torture. In our government provide some
legal act for woman society. They get various legal services in different organization.
We can’t solve this problem but minimize it. By born every person has right to lead a
freedom life. Government should come forward to established human rights properly
every sector of the people should be cordial about all religious people. But it’s must
be true that the condition of human rights of Bangladesh is not overcome at a night.
Sometimes political unraced become a factor to justice. Finally it will be stable if we
do fear all sector of people.

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Context
No Topic Page Number
1 Human rights 11
2 Human Rights in Bangladesh 11
3 Political & extrajudicial killings 12
4 Torture 13
5 Persecution Of Minority Communities 14
6 Freedom of religion 14
7 Societal abuses & discrimination 15
8 Improvements & positive developments in 15
respect for religious freedom
9 AIDS & homosexuality in Bangladesh 15
10 Child labour 16
11 Child labour in Bangladesh 17
12 Background 18
13 Issues 18
14 Legal protection 18
15 Child labour & education 19
16 Abuse, exploitation & violence 19
17 Action on child labour 20
18 Providing access to education 20
19 Providing service to working children 21
20 Social protection for vulnerable children 21
21 Impact 21
22 Providing basic education 22
23 Protesting children at risk 22
24 Providing social protection for vulnerable 22
children
25 Strengthening legal reform 22
26 Women torture in Bangladesh 23
27 Mental torture on women & the legal cure in 25
Bangladesh
28 Type of torture 26
29 Discrimination by religion 26
30 Women trafficking 26
31 Through marriage 27
32 Through kidnapping 27
33 The last thinks 27

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Human Rights in Bangladesh

“Obstacles & Recommendation”

Human Rights:

Human rights are "rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled." Proponents of the
concept usually assert that everyone is endowed with certain entitlements merely by reason
of being human. Human rights are thus conceived in a Universalist and egalitarian fashion.
Such entitlements can exist as shared norms of actual human moralities, as justified moral
norms or natural rights supported by strong reasons, or as legal rights either at a national
level or within international law. However, there is no consensus as to the precise nature of
what in particular should or should not be regarded as a human right in any of the preceding
senses and the abstract concept of human rights has been a subject of intense philosophical
debate and criticism.

“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with
reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”

Condition of Bangladesh:

Bangladesh is a developing country. Annual per capita income among the population of
about 130 million is approximately $350. Slightly more than half of all children are
chronically malnourished. Seventy percent (70%) of the work force is involved in
agriculture, which accounts for one-fourth (1/4) of the gross domestic product. The
economy is market-based, but the Government still plays a significant role. The industrial
sector is growing, albeit slowly, based largely on the manufacture of garments and textiles
by privately owned companies. A small, wealthy elite controls much of the private
economy, but there is an emerging middle class.

Foreign investment has increased significantly in the gas sector and in electrical power
generation facilities. Foreign aid still is significant, but has diminished somewhat in relative
importance vis-a-vis increased earnings from exports and remittances from workers
overseas. Efforts to improve governance and economic growth through reform have been
unsuccessful, and were blocked by bureaucratic intransigence, vested economic interests,
endemic corruption, and political polarization. The Government's commitment to economic
reform is weak. Periodic natural disasters, including a severe flood in 1998, also hamper
development; nevertheless, the economic growth rate during the last fiscal year was about
5.5 percent.

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Human Rights in Bangladesh:

 Political and Extrajudicial Killings:

In 2003, the government established the Rapid

Action Battalion, an elite 'anti-crime' unit
composed of armed personnel from several of the
existing security branches. Since the RAB was set
up, it has been constantly alleged that
extrajudicial killings and instances of custodial
torture have surged.

Between January and October 2005, an estimated 300 'criminal' civilians died due to
'encounter' killings, at the hands of law enforcement agencies and the RAB. Human rights
groups have recorded many of these killings, and have demanded that each death be
investigated, but the government have refused to meet these requests. The government
has defended RAB for having cut serious crime by fifty percent, and have, as of 2006,
dismissed international condemnation of RAB against whom the European Parliament have
issued a strong resolution by saying that 'encounter killings' happen all over the world.

The government's tolerance towards human rights abuses is not a new phenomenon.
Operation Clean Heart was an anti-crime operation that ran nationwide from October 2002
to January 2003. It led to the death of approximately sixty people, the maiming of around
three thousand individuals, and the arrest of more than forty-five thousand. On the day that
Operation Clean Heart officially ended, an ordinance was ratified that prohibited law-suits
or prosecutions for human rights violations during that period, giving the armed forces and
police impunity from being prosecuted for their actions.

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 Torture:

RAB and other record agencies have been

accused of using torture during custody
and interrogation. One allegation of such
came from a young man who was
arrested in Dhaka for protesting against
the assault of an old man by plainclothes
RAB agents. He was later severely
tortured. On July 27, 2005, two brothers
from Rajshahi, Azizur Rahman Noodle
and Atiquer Rahman Jewel, were arrested for eating a pony's brain, beaten with batons and
subjected to electric shocks. It is alleged that this brutality stemmed from the brothers'
family being incapable of paying a sufficient bribe. The brothers were tortured to such an
extent that they were hospitalised at the Rajshahi Medical School Hospital under police
custody.

“Police Attack on A Peaceful Independence Day Rally,

More than A Hundred Injured and 17 Arrested”

Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir

brought out a peaceful rally in the
streets of Dhaka on Saturday 26
March 2011 to celebrate the
country’s Independence Day.
Without any provocation
whatsoever, the police attacked
the rally from behind. The entire
regions of Kakrail and Shantinagar
turned into a battlefield because
of the police’s continuous
discharge of tear gas shells, lathi-
charge, and shotgun shots. As a
result, more than a hundred
activists of Chhatra Shibir,
pedestrians and journalists were injured. From those who were running for life, the police
arrested 17.

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 Persecution of minority communities:

Although Bangladesh is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, a
covenant designed to ensure freedom of religion and of expression, it has tolerated violent
assaults on religious minority communities by extremists.

In January 2004, the government succumbed to an ultimatum from their coalition partner,
the Islami Okiya Jote, and the extremist vigilante Khatme Nabuwat Movement to declare
that Ahmadi Muslims are "not" Muslims. Not wishing to lose its majority, Ahmadiyya
publications were declared illegal by the government. A constitutional court suspended the
ban, but Islamist groups are threatening legal challenge to this.

Attacks on the homes and places of worship of Ahmadiyya are still prevalent, but the
government has chosen neither to prosecute those responsible, nor discipline police officers
who failed to protect victims. Other religious minorities have come under attack, with
abductions, desecration of religious sites, and forced conversions persistently reported.
There have been many reports of Hindus having been evicted from their properties, and of
Hindu girls being raped but the police have refused to investigate, to this point. Due to this
climate of religious persecution, several hundred thousand Buddhists, Hindus and Christians
have left the country.

 Freedom of religion:

The Constitution establishes Islam as the state religion but provides also allows other
religions to be practiced in harmony. It also states that every religious community or
denomination has the right to establish, maintain, and manage its religious institutions.
While the Government publicly supports freedom of religion, attacks on religious and ethnic
minorities continued to be a problem.

While the right to propagate the religion of one's choice is guaranteed by the Constitution,
local authorities and communities often objected to efforts to convert people to Islam. In
general, government institutions and the courts protect religious freedom. The Government
ran imam training academies and proclaimed Islamic days of festivals but did not dictate
sermon content, select or pay clergy, or monitor content of religious education in
madrassahs.

Shari'a (Islamic law) was not implemented formally and was not imposed on non-Muslims,
but played an influential role in civil matters pertaining to the Muslim community. For
instance, alternative dispute resolution was available to individuals for settling family
disputes and other civil matters not related to land ownership. The arbitrator may rely on
principles found in Shari'a for settling disputes, if both parties agree to the settlement. In
addition, Muslim family law was loosely based on Shari'a.

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 Societal abuses and discrimination:

There were reports of societal abuses and discrimination based on religious belief or
practice during the period covered by the previous report. Clashes between religious groups
occasionally occurred. Violence directed against religious minority communities continued
to result in the loss of lives and property, but the motives, religious animosity, criminal
intent or property disputes, were often unclear. Religious minorities were vulnerable due to
their relatively limited influence with political elites. Like many citizens, they were often
reluctant to seek recourse from a corrupt and ineffective criminal justice system. Police
were often ineffective in upholding law and order and were sometimes slow to assist
religious minorities. This promotes an atmosphere of impunity for acts of violence against
them. However, persons who practiced different religions often joined each other's festivals
and celebrations such as weddings. Shi'a Muslims practiced their religious beliefs without
interference from Sunnis.

Religious minorities were not underrepresented in the private sector. Some Hindus reported
that Muslims tended to prefer hiring Hindus for some professional positions, such as
doctors, lawyers, teachers and accountants.

 Improvements and Positive Developments in Respect for Religious Freedom:

The Government continued not to enforce the ban on Ahmadiyya publications.

Furthermore, protesters were generally stopped from hanging signs outside of Ahmadiyya
mosques declaring them non-mosques or threatening the lives or property of Ahmadis. In
March, police protected the local Ahmadiyya community when it removed an anti-
Ahmadiyya signboard from one of their mosques in Khulna, the first time the police have
provided such support.

The Government took steps to promote interfaith understanding. For example, government
leaders issued statements on the eve of religious holidays calling for peace and warned that
action would be taken against those attempting to disrupt the celebrations. Through
additional security deployments and public statements, the Government promoted the
peaceful celebration of Christian and Hindu festivals, including Durga Puja, Christmas, and
Easter.

The Government helped support the Council for Interfaith Harmony-Bangladesh, an

organization created in 2005 with a mandate to promote understanding and peaceful
coexistence. This initiative came in response to a bombing campaign in the fall of 2005 by an
Islamist extremist group seeking the imposition of Shari'a law. The organization has helped
facilitate dialogue and panel discussions on religious matters, some of which have been
covered by the local media.

 AIDS and homosexuality in Bangladesh:

Reported cases of HIV/AIDS are growing at an alarming extent, with over a million AIDS
sufferers in Bangladesh. Whilst this rise of AIDS is not confined to Bangladesh in particular,
the government is doing nothing to prevent the spread of AIDS and is not prosecuting police
who rape homosexual men.

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Politically vulnerable groups at risk of HIV infection, such as sex workers and men who have
sex with men, have not been educated about the risk of AIDS, nor protected by the
authorities, and they have found themselves regularly assaulted, abducted, raped, gang
raped, and subjected to extortion by the police and by powerful criminals. Organization has
been established to stem the development of AIDS through education, but such projects
have been curbed by police brutality towards members who work on them.

Child labour:

Child labour is work that exceeds a minimum number

of hours, depending on the age of a child and on the
type of work. Such work is considered harmful to the
child and should therefore be eliminated.
Nevertheless, child labor exists in Bangladesh both in
rural and urban areas. There are many causes behind
child labor:

 Poverty.
 Illiteracy.
 Family Backups.
 Lack of knowledge by parents about education.

 Child labour in Bangladesh:

Condition Age Total population (million)

Working children 5-17 7.4
Working children 5-14 4.7
Child labourers (according to 5-17 3.2
definition, below)
Children engaged in hazardous 5-17 1.3
labour
Child domestic workers 421000
Percentage of children 5-14 National Slum Tribal
engaged in child labour (2006) 19.1 17.6 12.8

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 Background:
Social norms and economic realities mean that child labour is widely accepted and very
common in Bangladesh. Many families rely on the income generated by their children for
survival, so child labour is often highly valued. Additionally, employers often prefer to employ
children because they are cheaper and considered to be more compliant and obedient than
adults.
When children are forced to work, they are often denied their rights to education, leisure and
play. They are also exposed to situations that make them vulnerable to trafficking, abuse,
violence and exploitation. Millions of children are reported not to attend school, however
estimates vary. Among children aged 5-14, about five million, are economically active. “Child
labour” is a narrower concept than “working children”. According to the International Labour
Organisation definition (right), there are about 3.2 million child labourers in Bangladesh.

Certain groups of children are more likely to work than others, for instance boys comprise
about three-quarters of all working children. In slums almost one in five children aged 5-14 are
child labourers, and of these, only 25 per cent attend school2. Rapid urbanisation means that
more children will move into urban slums and be compelled to work. Child employment rates
increase with age, but even about two per cent of five-year-olds and three per cent of six-year-
old work.

 Issues:

UNICEF is not opposed to all work that children may perform. Children’s paid and unpaid work
can make a positive contribution to child development, as long as it does not interfere with
health or wellbeing, or prevent education or leisure activities. However, child labour (as defined
in the box, above), is work that deprives children of a childhood; work that affects children’s
health and education; and work that may lead to further exploitation and abuse.

 Legal protection:

Bangladesh enacted the Labour Act in 2006, which

includes a chapter on child labour. This new law
prohibits employment of children under 14 years of
age, as well as prohibiting hazardous forms of child
labour for persons under age 18. However, children
who are aged 12 and above may be engaged in “light
work” that does not pose a risk to their mental and
physical development and does not interfere with
their education. The law does not provide a strong
enforcement mechanism for the child labour
provisions. Additionally, the vast majority of children
(93 per cent) work in the informal sector6 which makes enforcement of the relevant legislation
challenging.

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 Child labour & education:

According to the new National Education Policy, education is

free and compulsory up to grade eight, however it is
estimated that more than one million children have never
been to school. Many children drop out of the education
system before completing primary school and begin working.
Most working children cite an inability to bear educational
expenses as the main reason for not attending school,
because there are many indirect costs such as transport and
uniforms. Limitations within the education system such as
poor teaching quality and a high teacher-student ratio may
also discourage children from completing school. Additionally,
children living in slums often move frequently due to
evictions, civic unrest and employment instability, further
exacerbating dropout rates.

Many child labourers miss out on their right to education

because they do not have the time to go to school or to
study. Data show that working hours are negatively
correlated with school attendance7. About half of all child
labourers do not attend school at all, and among child
domestic workers only 11 per cent attend school8. As a
result, working children get stuck in low paying, low-skilled
jobs, thereby perpetuating the cycle of poverty.

 Abuse, exploitation and violence:

Working children, particularly those in ‘hidden’ jobs such as domestic labour, are at risk of
abuse and exploitation. One-quarter of all working children reported that they had been
physically punished at their workplaces, according to a 2008 children’s opinion poll.

Bangladesh 421,000 child domestic workers (three-quarters are girls) face particular
vulnerabilities because they work behind closed doors. Almost all child domestic workers work
seven days a week and 90 per cent sleep at their employers home, meaning that they are
completely dependent on their employers and often have restrictions on their mobility and
freedom. About 60 per cent report some kind of abuse during their work, such as scolding or
slapping. Levels of exploitation are also extremely high, as indicated by the fact that more than
half receive no wage at all (they instead receive benefits such as accommodation, food and
clothing – further reinforcing dependency on their employer).

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Hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshi children work in hazardous jobs. These are jobs that
have been identified by the ILO to expose children to hazards including: physical, psychological
or sexual abuse; excessive work hours; an unhealthy environment. For instance, 3,400 children
work in brick/ stone breaking for the construction industry.

Action on child labour:

To protect children from child labour, UNICEF undertakes initiatives to promote child protection
systems at national and grassroots levels, including legislative reform, creating access to
services through institutional capacity building and evidence-based advocacy.

 Providing access to education:

UNICEF works with the Government of Bangladesh to establish learning centres in urban areas
where there are high concentrations of working children, through a project called Basic
Education for Hard to Reach Urban Working Children (BEHTRUWC). Classes last for 2.5 hours a
day, six days a week, so that children can continue to support their families while fulfilling their
right to education. These learning centres provide basic education in Bangla, English, Social
Science and Maths, as well as life-skills education on topics including negotiation skills,
interpersonal relationships, critical thinking and decision making. Students are aged 10-14, and
work at least seven hours a week.

The basic education course runs for 40 months and comprises five learning cycles of eight
months. Children work and study in small groups, sometimes according to their skill level and
sometimes by random selection to encourage peer-to-peer learning. Children also benefit from
the opportunity to socialize with other students, and teachers who use interactive rather than
punitive teaching techniques.

UNICEF works to change the social acceptability of child labour in Bangladesh. To coincide with
World Day Against Child Labour on June 12 2010, UNICEF Bangladesh will launch a campaign
against child labour. The aims of the campaign are:

 To raise awareness that child labour is

unacceptable among children aged under 14;
 To ensure that parents and employers are
guaranteeing the rights of working children
above age 14.

The campaign will disseminate messages about child

labour using communication channels such as:
interactive popular theatre; posters and leaflets; TV and

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radio announcements; a theme song; school debate competitions on child labour; a music
competition for working children.

 Providing services to working children:

As part of the Protecting Children at Risk (PCAR) project, social workers provide outreach to
children working on the street and encourage them to use non-formal education and other
services such as drop-in centers. Social workers also provide targeted outreach services to
children working in „invisible‟ locations such as small factories or homes, to prevent abuse and
exploitation. They hold discussions with employers, encouraging them to create safer
conditions for children and to allow children to attend school and take time off to recuperate
from their workplace. In a number of cases, children are enrolled in public schools. Social
workers also provide referrals for services including income-generating activities for parents so
they are not so reliant on their child’s income.

 Social protection for vulnerable children:

Natural disasters such as cyclones and floors are unfortunately a part of life in Bangladesh.
After emergencies, children are much more likely to have to work to support themselves and
their family. Children who became orphaned or vulnerable following 2007 Cyclone Sidr are
being assisted through a pilot project called Amader Shishu (Our Children). The project, which
was developed jointly with the Department of Social Services, provides guardians of orphans
with a monthly cash transfer of 1500 taka. The cash support is conditional on the fact that
children: must not be married before age 18; must attend school on a regular basis; and must
not be engaged in hazardous or worst forms of child labour. Local government social workers
have been trained to provide case management including referral to services. There are plans
to scale up this pilot initiative in urban areas.

Impact:
The impact of child labour is that:

 Providing basic education :

Under the BEHTRUWC project, more than 6,600 learning centers have been established in the
six divisional cities of Bangladesh, providing basic education and life skills training to 166,150
urban working children (60 per cent girls). Of these students, 20,000 children aged 13+ will
receive livelihood training, increasing their odds of achieving a better job and breaking the
poverty cycle.

During the first phase of the project, between 1997 and 2004, some, 346,000 urban working
children (50 per cent girls) aged from 8 to 14 received a two-year basic education course,
equivalent to grade three of government primary education. Dropout rates were very low and
1000 of the graduates received livelihood skills training on a pilot basis.

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 Protecting children at risk:

In 2009, about 8000 children benefitted from the PCAR interventions in 68 open air schools, 18
drop-in centres and 3 emergency night shelters, out of which:

 6,900 children completed the six month course on non-formal education.

 6,200 children received life skills training.
 2,900 children used drop-in centre services including emergency night shelters.
 820 children received vocational/skills training.
 631 children were placed with jobs and/or self employed.
 476 children received needs-based psychosocial support.
 241 children were reintegrated with their families or communities.
 47 children received legal aid support.

An informal survey conducted by social workers in Dhaka identified more than 4000 children
working in more than 1000 types of hazardous workshops/ factories. Social workers have met
with the factory owners to sensitise them on child rights and child labour issues.

 Providing social protection for vulnerable children:

 A total of 2,100 orphans and vulnerable children living in areas affected by Cyclone Sidr
were verified and selected to receive a cash transfer of 1,500 taka (22 USD) each
month.

 Strengthening legal reform:

 The process to harmonize the Children Act 1974 with international legal standards is
ongoing.
 Birth registration rates have increased significantly: from 10 per cent in 2004 to 54 per
cent in 2009. The Birth Registration Information System continues to be developed.
 Technical support to draft child protection policy and child protection code is ongoing.
 The National Child Labour Elimination Policy 2010 has recently been adopte

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Women torture in Bangladesh:

Women's Rights are almost non-existent in Bangladesh. And the

number of women who are murdered, beaten, tortured, or
raped is astronomically high. And, sadly, many of the women
who are attacked or raped die by suicide. The statistics are
sickening and shocking.

Below are some of the disturbing statistics just from August

2004:

(Please note that these statistics are from reported crimes; the
vast majority of crimes against women and girls in Bangladesh are not repoted, and thus
these numbers represent a small portion of the real total. Women know that if they report a
crime against them they could be subjected to further violence or they could be killed.)

 706 reported incidents of violence against women.

 Over 100 women were raped.
 217 young girls were tortured, of which 50 were killed, 42 raped, 34 badly injured, 29
kidnapped, 18 sold into prostitution, and 13 attacked with acid. (Throwing acid on
the face of a young girl or woman is, sadly, a common crime in Bangladesh. The acid
usually disfigures them for life.)
 Seven young girls died by suicide.

51 women were victims of violence because of dowry-related problems, of which 25 were

killed, 15 were tortured, and 4 died by suicide. (Dowry disputes are extremely common in
Bangladesh. A dowry is the personal property and/or money that is given to the husband's
family from the bride's family after a marriage. Oftentimes, the husband and his family do
not believe that the property and/or money received is adequate so they beat, torture or kill
the poor girl who just married into the family. And if she survives, she oftentimes dies by
suicide.)

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Whole over the was celebrating the International women day on 8th March. This year 2010
is the 100th year of the International day for women. But, still women have been facing
great challenge in most of the countries of the world. Many countries of the world have no
actual human rights. And the women rights can't imagine there. Women rights are the
human rights.

Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable country in the world where there women are
passing in very danger situation. Indeed in Bangladesh have gotten two great women
leaders Sheikh Hasina and Begum Khaleda Zia who have been governing Bangladesh since
1991. Presently Sheikh Hasina has governing Bangladesh as a Prime Minister. And Begum Zia
was a former Prime Minister of Bangladesh. But, yet the women are crying for their rights
and security. Though, every day many women's have been torturing, killings. Violence
against women is a common picture in Bangladesh.

Many women in Bangladesh suffer from rape, gang rape, murder, torture and acid throwing.
The position of women in Bangladesh is vulnerable. Even though Bangladesh has an elected
government, the difficulties facing women haven't ended. Violence against women is a
common feature in Bangladesh, and women face various problems under the system of
repression.
The main types of the oppression of women include dowry, trafficking, kidnapping, rape,
physical torture and acid throwing. Almost every day, women are victimized by these acts of
violence and repression. And domestic violence at the hands of husbands is a very routine
practice in Bangladesh.

According to a survey conducted by the Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, at least 937 women
were killed during the period from January to October this year. Prominent human rights
leader and BMP president, Ayesha Khanam, said that although an elected government is
now in power and there are conscious people in the ministry and in parliament, women
continue to face violence.

Bangladesh, there are many laws for the protection of women, yet the oppression of
women hasn't lessened. It is hard to imagine that it will be stopped in the near future. What
is causing this situation? It is because there is no rule of law and no good governance.
Impunity and corruption are very common in Bangladesh, and illegal political interference
on behalf of criminals is another reason that women's persecution continues.

Bangladesh has many laws for the protection of women. For example,

 The Suppression of Immoral Traffic Act 1933.

 The Family Court Ordinance.
 The Cruelty to Women (Deterrent Punishment) Ordinance.
 The Trafficking in Women and Children Act 1993, the Dowry Prohibition Act.
 The Prevention of Women and Child Repression Act (2000), etc.

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In Bangladesh have no equal rights in practice for women. The women have facing
difficulties by various ways. Especially the working women are facing these difficulties like
discrimination of wages. According to the daily Star (8-3-2010), Acid Survivors Foundation
(ASF) Executive Director Monira Rahman said, in the last 100 years the world achieved a lot,
but it is a matter of regret that violence against women, especially in countries such as
Bangladesh, is still widespread. Referring to a WHO study in 2005, she said 57.5 percent of
women in Bangladesh are sexually and physically tortured. In reality, the rate is much
higher, she said. Monira told, there were 490 incidents of acid throwing in 2002.

In order to prevent violence against women, it is necessary to practice the rule of law, carry
out proper and competent investigations, should reduce poverty and all kinds of
discrimination (man and women) and implement existing laws protecting women. At the
same time, it is necessary to ensure the security of witnesses and victims, and corruption
must be fought against during the time from when the case is filed until the trial is finished.
And political pressuring must be stopped. To prevent women's oppression, men must first
come forward. The question remains: is the Bangladesh government ready to tackle any and
all kinds of violence against women?

The present government has passed one year already. But, they didn't take any step for the
rights of women. Even the women development policy of 1997 hasn't reinstead. We want to
see that, Bangladesh government should take positive step for the empowerment and for
the rights of women immediately.

Mental Torture on Women and the Legal Cure in

Bangladesh:

As far as legal positivism is concerned, the law- making process is an open-ended process
which develops through different socio-political and cultural phenomena. To guard
against possible occurrences harming human existence on earth, laws should be made,
altered, and developed in keeping with the flux of time and situation. Moreover, the
creation of law is not enough in itself to ensure its effectiveness. The total success depends
on how effectively it can be enforced. Only for the lack of proper implementation people
are not fully enjoying the fruit of law in many respects. But if people cannot have any means
within the law to get legal cure or if there is no specific law for certain things, what would
they expect from judicature? Improper implementation of law makes things bad but no law
makes them worse. Mental torture on women in Bangladesh is such an issue with no
specific law about it and hence the victims are the worst sufferers. It is however time for the
issue to be seriously addressed. Circles relating to our law-making and enforcing processes
have got to play a key role in this regard.

The position of women across the globe is more or less fragile. From the cradle to the grave
they are subject to myriad problems and vulnerable to numerous physical and psychological
exploitations. Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm rightly remarks: ” The emotional, sexual,

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and psychological stereotyping of females begins when the doctor says,” It’s a girl”. With
the rise of Human Rights awareness and Feminist movements, the overall condition of
women is gradually improving. But that is much below the expectation line especially in
countries like Bangladesh.

 Type of torture:

 Women fall prey to Acid Burn, inflicted upon them by male perpetrators. Usually the
criminals do this after being refused to have sexual relations or proposal of marriage.
Sometimes the cause is for acquiring her property or dowry from her parents.
 Women are sometimes burnt to death by the husband or his family for the sake of
dowry. Usually dowry is taken during the marriage. But the greedy family puts
pressure on the family of the girl for further dowry and in case of failure, resort to
such barbaric activities. Sometimes, in order to get rid of torture, the women commit
suicide.

 Social Injustice:

The birth of a female child is rarely considered a happy incident. If a woman cannot have a
male child, usually the husband remarries.

The female child is also given less priority. They are given less love and affection by the
family and the relatives.

Female child is usually offered less nutritious food, less money is spent on their education.
They are more abused and rebuked. They have to do large part of the household work.

 Discrimination by Religion:

 The Hindu women cannot inherit father's property.

 The Daughter inherits ½ that of the brother by Muslim Family Law. If a person dies
without leaving a male child, ½ his / her property goes to his / her brother and the
daughter only inherits ½ of his / her property but incase only a male child is heir he
inherits all of the property.
 In the eyes of "Shariat Law" a woman is considered ½ that of a man. In "Shariat Law"
4 witnesses are always necessary. But in case women are witnesses double number
is necessary. Again if only women are witnesses, the case is disregarded.

 Women Trafficking:

Thus we see that the women are victims of social & religious injustice. They are brought up
in an environment of unfriendliness. Then again, the women fall prey to kidnapping. They
are kidnapped and sold to different brothels. They are also trafficked illegally to other
country like India, Pakistan and Middle East. Several type of such trafficking is there.

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 Through marriage:

Sometimes some male perpetrator get married to woman and take them out of the village,
(Parents' home) and bring her to the town. There he engages her and forces her to do
immoral activities. Sometimes she is sold to brothels or other countries.

 Through kidnapping:

 Female children are kidnapped and are forced to do immoral act or are sold out.
 Sometimes the female village teenaged girls or middle-aged women are lured to get
jobs in the cities. They believe and come to the cities only to find that they have
been brought to work as prostitutes or sold to foreign countries.
 Sometimes they are sent to the foreign country as Garments labour or other office-
worker. But after reaching .the country they find that they have to work as
housemaids or prostitutes.

The last thinks:

We can’t solve this problem but minimize it. By born every person have to right to lead a
freedom life. Government should come forward to established human rights properly every
sector of the people should be cordial about all religious people. But it’s must be true that
the condition of human rights of Bangladesh is not overcome at a night. Sometimes political
unraced become a factor to justice. Finally it will be stable if we do fear all sector of people.

References:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Bangladesh
2. http://web.amnesty.org/report2004/bgd-summary-eng
3. http://www.banglarights.net/news_and_issues.php?story_id=246
4. http://www.thedailystar.net/2006/01/27/d6012701085.htm
5. http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engASA130062001!Open
6. http://onlypunjab.com/fullstory2k5-insight-News-status-5-newsID-4420.html
7. http://www.youandaids.org/Asia%20Pacific%20at%20a%20Glance/Bangladesh/inde
x.asp#scenario
8. http://www.irewoc.nl/
9. http://www.orbitfiles.com/download/id3633731164.html
10. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children%27s_rights_movement
11. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_working_age
12. http://www.unicef.org/aclabor/synthesi.pdf
13. http://www.unicef.org/aclabor/socmobbp.pdf
14. http://www.unicef.org/aclabor/educbp.pdf
15. http://www.unicef.org/aclabor/educiss.pdf
16. http://www.unicef.org/aclabor/educiss.pdf
17. http://www.modernghana.com/blogs/266878/31/women-rights-situation-in-
bangladesh.html

Human Rights in Bangladesh